Rooted in Time: Seneca, Stoic Wisdom, and the Path Back to Nature

A serene creek flowing through sunlit woods – a reminder that time, like water, flows onward steadily, urging us to cherish each passing moment.

"Seneca lived from 4 BCE to 65 CE—but his words still ring true, perhaps even more so in the fast-paced world we live in today." Photo by John Thorne. Original on publicdomainpictures.net. This work is in the public domain.

In our modern rush of notifications and never-ending to-do lists, the ancient words of the Stoic philosopher Seneca echo like a calm breeze through trees. Seneca’s insights on the value of time, on focusing only on what we can control, and on the illusion of wealth as a source of happiness carry profound wisdom for us today. These teachings resonate deeply with the mission of Eutierria Essence, a guiding philosophy of living rooted, grounded, and in oneness with nature.

In this post, we explore Seneca’s ideas – why time is our most precious gift, how accepting what we cannot change brings peace, and how true happiness has little to do with wealth or status – and connect them to modern practices like disconnecting from our devices, living intentionally, and immersing ourselves in the healing embrace of nature. The result is a soft, poetic journey through philosophy and earth, showing how ancient wisdom and Eutierria Essence together can help us live more soul-aligned lives.

Cherishing Time in a World of Distractions

“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it... Life is long if you know how to use it.”

Seneca begins by reminding us that time is our most precious, non-renewable resource. We often complain that life is too short, yet as Seneca observes, we squander so many moments on trivial matters. Scrolling endlessly on our phones, binge-watching mindless media, or worrying about others’ opinions – these are the modern “idle occupations” that waste the life we have been given. The Stoic call is clear: be mindful of each day and hour, for “we are not given a short life but we make it short” through our own careless use of time.

“Grilled cheese made slowly, shared with tiny hands. A reminder that the best moments are rarely rushed, and never found on a screen.”

In today’s world, cherishing time often means intentionally disconnecting. Try turning off your phone for a while, or setting it to airplane mode when you step outside. Notice how the world opens up when you are not glued to a screen. Perhaps you spend that hour walking by a river or watching the golden light of afternoon fade – moments that might seem simple, yet enrich your soul far more than any social media feed. At Eutierria Essence, this philosophy lives in the art of slow, intentional living. It’s why we bake bread from scratch and let the soup simmer, as we’ve learned that “you can’t rush good food or a good life” – wisdom from our own journey that mirrors Seneca’s. By restructuring our schedules to prioritize what truly matters – a quiet cup of tea at sunrise, time journaling or meditating, an evening with loved ones outdoors – we reclaim the leisure and presence that Seneca praises. After all, “people are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy”. In other words, we guard our money and stuff, but let hours slip away carelessly. Instead, let’s treat each moment as a gift.

• Set gentle boundaries with technology: Designate screen-free times (such as mornings or during nature walks) to fully engage with the present moment.

  
  

• Prioritize soul-nourishing activities: Schedule in what makes you feel alive – a hike, gardening, reading poetry – just as you schedule work or errands.

  
  

• Practice saying “no” to excess obligations: Seneca reminds us that “the part of life we really live is small”, so protect your time for what aligns with your values.

  
  

Through these small practices, we align with Seneca’s wisdom on time. We begin to experience life not as a blur of tasks, but as a series of savored moments. Imagine watching a sunset without checking the clock, the sky’s colors slowly deepening as you simply breathe. In those instances, time feels abundant and “long enough,” provided we know how to use it well. Such presence is at the heart of Eutierria Essence: living fully in the now, connected to the natural rhythm of the day.

Only What We Can Control: Finding Peace in Surrender

“Fate leads the willing and drags the unwilling.” –

“Sometimes it’s a funny-looking Goldfish, sometimes it’s a life detour you didn’t plan. Either way, embracing the imperfect opens the door to unexpected growth.”

Life is full of events beyond our control, from sudden storms that ruin our plans, to the actions of others or twists of fate that upend our expectations. Seneca teaches that our inner serenity depends on our willingness to accept these uncontrollable currents. “Fate leads the willing and drags the unwilling,” he says, suggesting that when we embrace what life brings, we move forward with far less suffering than if we resist and complain. In essence, we can choose to flow like a river, or be pulled under by our own resistance. The only things truly under our control are our own thoughts, attitudes, and actions – our response to what happens, rather than the happenings themselves.

In our era, controlling only what we can might mean releasing the tight grip we have on constant information and online engagement. For example, we cannot control world news or social media trends, and absorbing endless negative news often only feeds anxiety. Seneca understood this human tendency to torment ourselves with fears and “what-ifs.” He noted that “we suffer more often in imagination than in reality” – meaning our worries usually exceed actual outcomes. How often have we feared the worst, only to find things weren’t so bad? To cultivate peace, the Stoics advise letting go of those imagined fears and focusing on real, present things. One practical step is curating your daily inputs: limit doom-scrolling, unsubscribe from that stressful stream of content, and instead spend that mental energy on a grounding ritual or creative hobby.

Consider a simple scene: you’re caught in an unexpected rain shower while on a forest walk. You cannot stop the rain, it’s nature’s course. What you can control is your perspective: do you panic and grumble, or laugh and dance under the clouds? Grab a raincoat or find shelter under a friendly oak tree, and suddenly the storm becomes an experience rather than an ordeal. Nature teaches us resilience in this way. A tree does not resist the wind; it bends gracefully. Likewise, by focusing on what is within our control (our choices, our mindset) and surrendering what is not (the weather, other people’s actions), we experience a profound sense of relief. This is not about passive resignation, but active acceptance. Seneca believed that a wise person “possesses themselves in any circumstance” – they remain internally free and at peace no matter what fate.

“Rest gently, little sprout. Your roots are growing deep, and your branches will stretch wide in their own time. For now, just dream and be held by the quiet rhythm of the Earth.”

At Eutierria Essence, we embrace this Stoic lesson through mindful, grounded living. Tending a garden, for instance, is a gentle practice in surrender and care. You cannot force a seed to sprout faster with worry; you water it, give it sunlight, and trust nature’s timing. As we wrote in a recent journal, “guiding with care instead of control, nurturing patiently while trusting the process” is the way of the garden, and the way of life. By relinquishing the illusion of total control, we make room for peace. We learn to respond, not react, to life’s events. When we accept that the evening will come with or without our stress, we can choose instead to light a candle, read a book, or simply listen to the night sounds, calm in the knowledge that we did our best with the day. In this surrender lies freedom: a rooted, unshakable tranquility that no external storm can steal.

Wealth, Status, and the Roots of True Happiness

“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”

In a society that often measures success by bank accounts and social media likes, Seneca offers a refreshingly different metric: contentment. The Stoics saw clearly that wealth and status do not equate to happiness. As Seneca quips, “the man who craves more, is poor,” even if he has much. A billionaire constantly hungry for another million lives in a state of lack, whereas someone of modest means who wants for nothing truly feels rich. The chase for status – a grand title, a new promotion, the admiration of strangers – similarly can lead to a hollow victory. How often have we attained something we thought would finally make us happy, only to find the satisfaction fleeting? Seneca knew that cycle well, and he cautioned that external gains mean little if our soul remains impoverished.

“A quiet snack in the morning sun. Nothing grand, nothing bought, just a shared stillness between two souls under a tree. That’s the kind of richness you can’t measure.”

True happiness, then, is an inside job. It’s found in appreciating what we have and realizing that “contented poverty is an honorable estate,”  not that we must live in poverty, but that a simple life rich in experiences and virtue is no loss at all. Modern minimalists echo this idea when they declutter their lives to make room for meaning. Think of the calm joy that comes from a small cabin in the woods, a day spent hiking under the open sky, or a homemade meal with friends. None of these require fame or fortune, yet they often bring a deeper satisfaction than any shopping spree or corporate accolade. Spending time in nature especially reveals how wealthy we truly are in intangibles: the beauty of a sunset, the chorus of birds at dawn, the solidity of the earth beneath our feet. These are riches granted freely to everyone, “for he that is so wants nothing” more.

Eutierria Essence is built on this understanding of real wealth. In our homesteading journey, we’ve learned to find luxury in the rustling of our herb garden, the laughter shared over hand-crafted projects, the sense of purpose in creating rather than consuming. We remind ourselves often of another of Seneca’s insights: “If you live according to nature, you will never be poor; if you live according to opinion, you will never be rich.” Living according to nature, in tune with the earth’s cycles and our own true needs, brings an abundance of peace and sufficiency. Living by “opinion,” chasing what others deem important, leaves one endlessly dissatisfied, always comparing and coveting. The mission of Eutierria is to help people step off that treadmill of comparison and consumerism, and step into a gentler, more fulfilling world. In practical terms, this might mean choosing experiences over things: opting to watch the stars with your family instead of buying the latest gadget, or prioritizing an afternoon of creativity (painting, writing, wandering a forest trail) over an afternoon of shopping. Bit by bit, we realize that our “enough” is out there, in the whisper of pines and the glow of campfire embers, not in any mall or corporate ladder. With that realization comes a profound contentment, the kind of quiet happiness that money cannot buy and status cannot bestow.

In Tune with Nature: The Eutierria Essence

“If you live according to nature, you will never be poor; if you live according to opinion, you will never be rich.”

Seneca’s words above (interestingly, borrowed from Epicurus yet embraced by the Stoics) ring like a mantra for Eutierria Essence. Eutierria itself means a positive feeling of oneness with the Earth – the obliteration of the boundary between self and nature. To live according to nature is to recognize that we are nature. It’s walking barefoot on the ground and feeling not “dirt” but connection. It’s observing the patience of a tree and finding inspiration to grow slowly and sturdily in our own lives. When we align with the natural world, we tap into an ancient rhythm that nourishes the soul. We become, as Seneca might say, wealthy in spirit, because all the simple wonders around us fulfill our needs more deeply than artificial substitutes. The mission of Eutierria Essence is to guide people toward this state of harmony, to inspire that profound oneness with the earth and its life forces in everyday living.

“It’s amazing what walking beside a running stream can do to you. Listen to the trickle, feel the sunlight, notice how the birds, bugs, and breeze all move in quiet harmony. This is nature’s rhythm—where presence returns, and you remember you belong.”

In practical terms, being in tune with nature can start with small shifts: watch the sunrise and let its quiet splendor set the tone for your day, or end your evening by stepping outside to breathe the night air and notice the moon. Schedule a weekend hike or a picnic by a lake as a reward, rather than a shopping trip. Even if you live in a city, you can find a park or tend a windowsill garden, ways to let natural beauty into your routine. These acts are deceptively simple, yet their impact accumulates like gentle rainfall nourishing the ground. Over time, you may notice a “eutierria” feeling blooming in you: a sense that you’re not separate from the world around you, but part of it – as inseparable as a wave is from the sea. Stress begins to melt away in this state, because the rush for more or the struggle for control eases into a trust in enough and a faith in the process of life.

Seneca and his Stoic peers often spoke of living in accordance with nature as the foundation of virtue and wisdom. They understood that nature is our teacher. From the cycles of seasons we learn about change and resilience; from the animals and plants we learn presence and purpose. A wildflower doesn’t question its worth or compare itself to another, it simply blooms. By adopting a similarly natural mindset, we free ourselves from so many sources of unhappiness. We stop comparing our lives to others’ (the futile “opinion” Seneca warned against) and start appreciating our unique path. We stop fighting the tide of events and start surfing it, finding joy in the ride. We stop hoarding time and resources anxiously and start sharing, trusting that nature’s abundance is enough for all our true needs.

In the end, Stoic wisdom and the spirit of Eutierria Essence intertwine like the roots of an old oak. Both guide us back to what is essential: time well-spent, acceptance of life’s flow, and richness of spirit over riches of the world. As you simplify, slow down, and step outside into the sunlight, you may hear the gentle voice of Seneca in the rustling leaves. Cherish your time. Let go of what you can’t change. Revel in the simple joys. This is the path to a life deeply grounded and alive. This is the essence of Eutierria, a life where we feel the earth under our feet and know, in our hearts, that we have come home.

"From our family to yours - may the next time you step outside feel a little more like coming home."

Seneca reminds us that “life is long if you know how to use it.” So let’s use it well, by slowing down, reconnecting with the Earth, and embracing the beauty of enough. Start today.

Step outside.

Light a candle.

Bake bread.

Listen to birdsong.

Plant something.

Say yes to stillness.

This is the path we walk at Eutierria Essence, rooted, rising, and profoundly alive. And we invite you to walk it with us, hand in hand with ancient wisdom and the living Earth.