Lessons from the Camino: Stoic Discoveries on the Journey

The Camino de Santiago compressed a life into a few weeks for me—a beginning, the long middle, and a kind of ending that points to a new start. It became a living classroom where Stoic ideas stopped being quotes and became muscle and miles. These are the field notes the road wrote into me.

The Camino as a Life in Miniature

In the first days—the “childhood” of the journey—everything hurt. The distances felt long, the elevation unforgiving, and my legs were still learning the work. I carried my own bag, as we all must. People appeared and disappeared like seasons: some stayed for a stretch, others crossed my path just when needed and then were gone.

• You can choose the easy road or the pretty one (usually harder, always richer).

• Comfort zones tempt; growth asks for another hill.

• A single misstep can end things early or delay you for days.

• Everything passes—mountains, meseta, rain, sun, blisters, euphoria.

• The point isn’t the destination; the point is the walk.

I tried to notice small, unrepeatable gifts: a shared bench, a cloud covering noon sun, a cold beer, Cebreiro cheese with honey, wind on a hot afternoon, birdsong after rain. I realized how little I need—and how much I had taken for granted: towels, hot showers, a roof, a car.

The Camino is a river. Each pilgrim is a drop, each step a new current. Even two drops flowing side by side don’t share the same journey. Every Camino is different—even the same route on the same day.

“Time is a river, a violent stream of events.” — Marcus Aurelius

Perception: Seeing Clearly, Step by Step

Stoicism begins with perception—seeing what’s really in front of you.

• Nearly no one has your pace. Don’t compare. Walk your walk.

• Focus on the next step. If you stare too far ahead, you trip on what’s underfoot.

• In the dark dawn you trip less when you trust each small step.

• You can always correct a wrong turn. When lost, adjust and keep going.

• “Every day is the same and completely different”—routine holds; terrain and problems change.

Compassion with boundaries: you can help others, but you can’t walk for them. You can’t carry their bag. You can walk beside them—sometimes that’s everything—while not losing yourself in the saving.

“Some things are up to us and some are not.” — Epictetus

Seeing clearly means discerning the boundary between your judgments and choices on one side, and weather, closures, terrain, and other people’s pace on the other.

Action: Do What’s Yours to Do

The Camino rewards simple, steady action.

• Plan ahead, but leave room for change. Map distances. Note closures. Then meet reality.

• Practice premeditatio malorum: imagine obstacles in advance so they sting less when they arrive.

• Plans are sketches. The details—the hidden ascents and ankle-wrenching descents—are the real work.

• Start with a basic plan. It’s better to begin and refine than wait for perfect.

• A rigid plan can stunt growth. If your body asks for more, go farther. If it asks for less, listen.

• Set a minimum daily target. Hit it, then—if possible—go a little further.

Shortcuts can rob you of strength. Sending heavy bags forward or skipping hard stages may be wise sometimes, but ease often delays growth. Do what’s yours to do and earn your endurance.

And serve. When you help someone on the Camino, you help yourself. That’s sympatheia: we’re part of the same body.

“What’s bad for the hive is bad for the bee.” — Marcus Aurelius

Will: Endure and Love Your Fate

The will is how you bear what you can’t change.

My second Camino was a solo stretch of storms and scarcity. A right-knee issue led me to overwork the left foot; a blister erupted on Day 1. Heat rash spread around my ankles. Weather turned, mud deepened, wind rose. I rested on Day 9. Some days the aim shifted from “be better than yesterday” to “survive today.”

This is where amor fati stopped being a phrase. I didn’t reach Bordeaux; I stopped in Aulnay-de-Saintonge. I let go of plans to finish the Norte in March/April. Lodging dictated distances. The elements dictated pace. Acceptance made room for gifts I couldn’t have scheduled: a stranger’s kindness, a dry bed, a hot meal, a clear morning after a night of weather.

• This too shall pass. The storm, the sun, the pain, the high—each moves on.

• Muscle pain is not injury. Learn the difference. Rest minutes to save days.

• “Like a pencil”: sharpening hurts—and makes you useful.

• Don’t stop when tired; stop when done—wisely defined by conditions and care.

• Ego inimicus est & memento mori. Ego is the enemy, and we’re mortal. Walk humbly.

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius
“To bear trials with a calm mind robs misfortune of its strength.” — Seneca

Quod obstat viae fit via. The obstacle becomes the path.

Companions, Community, and Love

There are seasons to walk with others and seasons to walk alone. Both matter.

• Everyone is walking their own Camino—often for reasons they don’t voice. Be kind.

• Walking with someone can ease the miles and multiply joy.

• Not every hiker is your “Camino Family.” When a deep connection happens, it’s rare and precious.
  Home is where someone notices your absence.

On life partners:

• Find someone with your pace—or close enough to find a shared rhythm.

• You can’t carry their bag; each is responsible for their load. But you can be a team.

• Some stages you’ll separate, speed up, slow down, or wait. It’s okay if you meet in the same place at day’s end.

• If they are keeping you from growing, it’s not there.

The Camino makes people honest. With old dramas stripped away and the shared vulnerability of blisters, weather, and simple goals, meaningful conversations appear. Show your real self; the right people will stay.

Two Caminos: Community vs. Solitude

On the Camino Francés, paths were clear, beds abundant, hospitality warm. Community buoyed me; comfort masked some deeper reserves. The daily aim: be better than the day before.

On the Solo Camino, paths were faint or unmarked, towns ghost-like, dining options scarce, schedules unpredictable. Support was thin. The aim shifted: endure today so I can walk tomorrow.

• Community reveals connection; solitude reveals capacity.

• Ease lets you refine strengths; hardship shows you strengths you didn’t know you had.

• Both are teachers. Neither is superior.

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it.” — Marcus Aurelius

Planning, Letting Go, and the Middle Path

The Stoic path isn’t rigidity; it’s disciplined flexibility.

• Plan thoroughly. Expect surprises. Welcome improvements.
  Then meet the day as it is, not as you wish.

• Plans are maps of the valley; you still must feel the mountain with your feet.

• The Camino humbles estimates; we tend to underestimate time and effort. Adjust without self-judgment.

• Hold outcomes lightly. When reality vetoes your itinerary, shake hands with reality.

• You can’t save people and pay the price. Help generously, but don’t get lost in the process.

• If everything feels perfectly controlled, you may not be stretching your edge.

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.” — Epictetus

Practices I Carried Home

Simple rituals turned philosophy into practice.

• Next-step focus: Name the day’s target, then return attention to the footfall in front of you.

• Minimum viable day: Define a small, guaranteed win. After you hit it, go further only if wise.

• Control audit: List what’s within your control (judgment, effort, preparation). Release the rest (weather, others’ choices).

• Premeditatio malorum: Each morning, anticipate likely obstacles and rehearse calm responses.

• If–then scripts: “If café is closed, then I eat what I carry.” “If it rains, then I walk in rain and adjust pace.”

• Gratitude inventory: Note three ordinary blessings you ignored before: towels, hot water, a roof.

• Sympatheia in action: Do one concrete good for someone daily—carry, share, translate, guide.

• Ego check, memento mori: A quiet reminder: I’m not the center; I am finite. Let that shape how I walk and speak.

• Listen to the body: Know the difference between pain that warms up and pain that warns you.

A 7‑Day Camino‑at‑Home Experiment

Bring the Camino’s Stoic lessons into ordinary life.

• Day 1 — Map your terrain: Goals, constraints, resources. Choose one meaningful daily minimum.

• Day 2 — Control audit: Two columns: within control / outside control. Commit to act on the left, accept the right.

• Day 3 — Premeditatio malorum: List three likely obstacles. Write your if–then responses.

• Day 4 — Walk with someone: Support a friend’s “stage.” Listen more than you speak.

• Day 5 — Solitude mile: One hour alone (no headphones). Notice thoughts; return to breath and steps.

• Day 6 — The pretty path: Choose a harder, richer option today. Note what it grows in you.

• Day 7 — Integrate: Journal what changed. Keep one practice as your new daily minimum.

After the Camino: Integration and Misunderstanding

Back home, many will ask about “the adventure,” but not everyone will understand the growth. Some stayed in their crystal bubble while you changed. You may lose connection with those refusing to walk at your new pace—and that’s okay. Keep walking with humility, not superiority.

You are more resilient than you think. Own your mornings and you often own the day. But remember: ego is an enemy, and life is fragile. Be brave and be kind.

Epilogue: The Path Continues

I came to the Camino not looking for answers. I came to give, not to take. I left fulfilled, believing I touched a few souls along the way, and received more than I knew to ask for.

Though I stopped in Aulnay-de-Saintonge a year ago, and in Bordeaux back in March; I’ll go back to pick up the thread and walk on to Irun—less to conquer miles than to keep practicing what the road taught: see clearly, do what’s mine, and love whatever comes.

Between now and then, my Camino is at home: early mornings, one true step at a time, plans held lightly, gratitude for ordinary luxuries—hot water, a roof, unblistered feet, healing knee—and a daily act of service. I’ll measure progress not by distance, but by character: calmer perception, cleaner action, steadier will.

I don’t walk to arrive; I arrive so I can keep walking. The end of one Camino is only the beginning of the next. Buen Camino—amor fati, memento mori, sympatheia.

Finding Purpose: A Stoic Perspective on Meaningful Living

Ever stared at the ceiling at 2 AM wondering, “What exactly am I supposed to be doing with my life?” Same. The ancient Stoics may not have owned smartphones, but they left us a pocket-sized GPS for purpose—minus the battery drain. Let’s plug it in.

1. First, Check the Settings: What You Actually Control

Epictetus would’ve loved the “airplane mode” button. He split life into two folders:

• Inside Your Control: attitudes, choices, playlists.
• Outside Your Control: weather, Wi-Fi speed, other people’s drama.

Building purpose out of Folder 1 means fewer headaches (and rage-refreshes).

Try it: List three virtues you admire—maybe courage, kindness, curiosity. Tomorrow morning, pick one micro-move that shows it off. And yes, actually make your own playlist—your life-soundtrack of songs that cue those virtues on demand.

2. Play the “Worst-Case Netflix” Game

Stoic trick: imagine losing the shiny stuff to see what really matters. Picture your job title disappearing Thanos-style. Still you. Your vinyl collection melts. Still you. Whatever’s left glowing points to core values. Jot them, star the top five, ignore the rest.

3. Turn Values into Job Descriptions

Marcus Aurelius called himself “a citizen of the universe”—fancy talk for team player. Translate your values into roles:

• Friend → be the prompt-text-backer
• Designer → create things that make life easier
• Dog parent → belly rubs on demand

When roles are clear, decisions get obvious (and guilt takes a nap).

4. Sync with Nature’s Wi-Fi: Solvitur Ambulando

The Stoics said problems get solved by walking—solvitur ambulando. Open the blinds, cue your life-soundtrack, and take a brisk lap around the block or the office. Movement plus daylight rewires your mood and reminds you that you’re a small (but significant) pixel in a much larger cosmic screen.

5. Morning Mini-Rehearsal

Before the day sprints off:

1. Glance at your roles.

2. Preview likely plot twists (traffic, toddler meltdown).

3. Pick one “Must-Do” that moves the purpose needle.

Ten minutes. One coffee. Done.

6. High-Five Your Detours—Director’s Cut

You’re the director, actor, and producer of your own movie. Problems on the set? We still have a movie to finish—rewrite the script and move on. Laid off? Project cancelled? The Stoic in the director’s chair shouts, “Plot twist!” and keeps rolling. Purpose isn’t a straight freeway—it’s more like Mario Kart. Love the curves; they teach better steering.

7. Phone-a-Friend

Seneca swore wisdom grows in groups. Share your purpose draft with pals. If they squint or laugh, excellent—revise. Purpose that survives friendly fire is purpose that sticks.

8. Nightly Scoreboard

Before crashing:

• Win of the day?
• Oops moment?
• Tiny tweak for tomorrow?

That’s it. No candlelit scrolls required.

Big Friendly Takeaways

• Purpose = living your favorite virtues on loop (with a custom soundtrack).
• Worst-case imagination is clarity fuel.
• Walk it out—many problems untangle while your feet move.
• You’re running (and starring in) the film—keep shooting, rewrite scenes, finish strong.

With these Stoic hacks, “meaning” stops being a mystical quest and turns into a daily choose-your-own-adventure. See you at sunrise—virtue cape optional.

Book Club: Must-Reads for Aspiring Stoics

Welcome back to our journey through Stoicism! As we dive into our ninth blog post, it’s time to lighten the mood a bit and explore some fantastic literature that captures the spirit of this ancient philosophy. Reading is one of the best ways to deepen our understanding of Stoic principles while enjoying a few laughs along the way. Whether you’re a seasoned Stoic or just starting to explore this fascinating world, we’ve curated a lively list of must-reads that are sure to inspire and entertain!

Curated Book List

1. "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius

This classic offers a peek into the thoughts of one of the most relatable emperors ever. Marcus Aurelius shares his inner battles and wisdom with a sense of humor that reminds us that even the greats had their off days. You'll find inspiration and maybe a chuckle or two as you read his reflections.

2. "A Guide to the Good Life" by William B. Irvine

Irvine brings Stoic philosophy into our modern age with practical advice that you can apply right away. His witty anecdotes and down-to-earth tips make it a delightful read, proving that living a Stoic life can be both fulfilling and fun!

3. "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman

Start your day on the right foot with a daily dose of wisdom! This book serves up bite-sized insights and reflections that are perfect for sparking a smile and inspiring action. It’s like having a cheerful Stoic buddy nudging you to enjoy each day.

4. "How to Be a Stoic" by Massimo Pigliucci

Pigliucci tackles Stoicism with a light-hearted flair, making complex ideas accessible and enjoyable. He uses humor to illustrate how Stoic principles can help us deal with modern life’s craziness—perfect for finding laughter amid the chaos.

Conclusion

As we wrap up our ninth post, consider diving into these engaging books and maybe even forming a book club with friends! Discussing these delightful texts—whether in-person or online—can lead to lively conversations and shared insights. So, grab your reading glasses and a comfy seat; it’s time to embrace the joy of Stoicism together! Happy reading!

Community and Connection: The Role of Support in Stoic Living

When we think of Stoicism, it’s easy to picture a lone philosopher perched on a mountaintop, deep in contemplation, trying to make sense of the universe. But here’s a fun fact: Stoicism isn’t just about solitary reflection! It turns out, communities and connections are key players in the Stoic game. Who would have thought seeking wisdom could also involve chatting over coffee or sharing stories with friends?

Shared Experiences: The Glue of Community

Imagine gathering with a group of friends, swapping tales about the ups and downs of life. These shared experiences are not just fun; they’re like little nuggets of Stoic wisdom! When we talk about our challenges—like that time we faced a particularly difficult boss or struggled to keep our cool in a frustrating situation—we connect on a deeper level. It’s comforting to know we’re not the only ones grappling with life’s curveballs. Plus, there’s something quite freeing about having a good laugh over our misadventures!

Building a Support Network: Your Stoic Cheer Squad

Surrounding ourselves with a support network of fellow Stoics (or just good pals who appreciate our journey) is like having a personal cheer squad. Local groups or online communities provide an awesome space for discussing philosophy and encouraging each other to embrace our inner Stoics. Picture this: a lively meetup where everyone shares tips on handling stress while munching on snacks. Who could resist that? Having people to brainstorm with when life gets tough makes the journey so much more enjoyable.

Learning from Fellow Stoics: Mentors Make It Fun

Let’s not forget the value of learning from those seasoned in the Stoic ways. Finding a mentor or a friend who embodies Stoic virtues can be enlightening (and often entertaining!). Imagine sitting down with someone who has a treasure trove of stories about how they’ve navigated life’s messiness with grace. They might share how they kept calm in the face of a flat tire or how they tackled a challenging relationship. These lessons, wrapped in humor and relatability, can inspire us to apply Stoicism more effectively in our lives.

Giving Back: Stoic Karma

Here’s a universal truth: giving back feels good! The Stoics believed that contributing to our communities was essential, and for a good reason. Kindness and support not only help those around us, but they also remind us of our shared experience as humans. Whether it’s volunteering, listening to a friend in need, or making someone’s day with a random act of kindness, these moments strengthen our connections. Plus, engaging in acts of goodwill makes us feel more connected and resilient as individuals—sort of like a Stoic superhero!

So, as we dive into our Stoic journeys, let’s remember to lean on one another. Engage in those cheerful conversations, seek out like-minded folks, and be open to sharing laughter and wisdom. The path of Stoicism is not a lonely mountain trek but a vibrant journey best experienced together. Let’s celebrate our connections and the joy they bring to our lives!