{"id":44694,"date":"2017-03-24T23:10:02","date_gmt":"2017-03-25T06:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=44694"},"modified":"2017-03-26T20:42:20","modified_gmt":"2017-03-27T03:42:20","slug":"how-to-prevent-your-own-decline-and-fall-in-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/24\/how-to-prevent-your-own-decline-and-fall-in-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Your Own Decline and Fall in Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"medusa\"<\/p>\n

I just finished skimming some of Edward Gibbon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (through some quotes), and have some valuable lessons I want to share with you:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So first of all, I want to use this as an opportunity to extract some of my personal thoughts, ideas, and philosophies\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and hopefully to render these ideas as useful to you.<\/p>\n

1. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t succumb to vice<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The first lesson I learned from history was this: vice, the pursuit of pleasure, wealth, carnal delights, pleasure in food, luxury, fashion, is generally the decline of a society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Of course, we want moderate<\/em> pleasure in life. I know for myself, I love the pleasure of meeting my friends, enjoying a nice coffee, having a relaxing dinner, and having delicious meat after a long day of hard work.<\/p>\n

However, it seems that in the past history of the Roman empire\u00e2\u20ac\u201d when society\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s values become soft and perverted, the social fabric and moral fiber decreases.<\/p>\n

I know for myself, I started to decline when I succumbed to becoming a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcfoodie.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 I wasted so much time, looking for new restaurants to eat at, just to find more pleasure for my tongue and my throat. It was all a waste of time. I would have preferred to eat more simple foods, which often cause less indigestion. And certainly is a lot cheaper. Then more money for supporting my family, for travel, for buying books, and to live a simple life.<\/p>\n

I also know that for myself, fashion and luxury is often distracting to me. I waste hours looking at new clothes on fashion websites\u00e2\u20ac\u201d wrongly thinking that if I somehow had the perfect outfit, I would have more peace, tranquility, and happiness in my life.<\/p>\n

This is why I like to wear the same thing everyday. Less stress on my outfit. Just all black everything. Then more energy and focus to do what is truly important to me\u00e2\u20ac\u201d creative work. Writing, reading, synthesizing information, blogging, making videos, making photos\u00e2\u20ac\u201d making more meaning in my life.<\/p>\n

2. Conquer fear<\/h2>\n

A lot of individuals in the annals of history lived in fear. Perpetual fear. Fear of attack from neighboring tribes or villages. Fear from starvation. Fear from being made destitute. Fear of freezing to death.<\/p>\n

But in life, when we no longer have fear \u00e2\u20ac\u201d how much more can we achieve, personally?<\/p>\n

I know for myself, I slit the throat of the serpent of fear. I am no longer a slave to fear. And that has helped me flourish creatively. It has helped me pursue more virtue in my life, to become less selfish, and more generous.<\/p>\n

I know I have the basic necessities of life:<\/p>\n