Fall’s Beauty in Rapid City: A Temporary Masterpiece
Fall has come to Rapid City, South Dakota, where my wife and I live. The trees are turning bright shades of yellow and red. We’ve been amazed by the beauty of nature on our two-mile walks at Canyon Lake Park, one of Rapid City’s most beautiful parks.
During one recent walk, I realized I was experiencing a heightened sense of beauty. While awed by the colors, I thought, “This is only temporary. The beautiful green trees we’ve enjoyed all summer and the bright yellow leaves will soon be replaced by dark, bare branches, a sign of a long winter ahead.”
Negative Visualization: A Stoic Approach to Appreciating Life
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about Stoic negative visualization. This practice suggests that we value our possessions and experiences more deeply when we consider their potential loss.
As William B. Irvin explained in his insightful book, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, “Negative visualization, in other words, teaches us to embrace whatever life we happen to be living and to extract every bit of delight we can from it. But it simultaneously teaches us to prepare ourselves for changes that will deprive us of the things that delight us. It teaches us, in other words, to enjoy what we have without clinging to it.”
Buddhist Wisdom on Impermanence
A similar concept is found in Buddhism. In his book When Things Don’t Go Your Way: Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times, Buddhist monk Haemin Sunim writes, “There comes a time in our lives when we realize that everything we have can be taken away in the blink of an eye. Let us stay thankful and never take anything for granted.”
Finding Joy in the Temporary: My Experience at Canyon Lake Park
Reflecting on my walk, I realized I’d been unconsciously practicing Stoic negative visualization, which made the experience especially meaningful.
I reminded myself this beauty was only temporary: soon, the yellow leaves would turn brown and fall, leaving no leaves at all. That made me value the beautiful display in front of me and all around me as I walked.
Applying Stoic Reflection to Everyday Life
Typically, we don’t like to think about the possibility of negative things happening. That’s seen as a negative, pessimistic way to approach life. Yet, at the same time, we’re also aware that everything is changing and nothing is forever.
Negative visualization helps us be grateful for and appreciate the things we have right now. Rather than being a downer, this perspective enhances our appreciation of the present, giving us even more delight in life’s moments.
This applies to all areas of our lives, such as our spouse, our children, our friends, and even our Mac. We value and are grateful for them even more when we fully acknowledge that they can be taken away from us at any time.