How I Accidentally Went International (and Why Marcus Aurelius Might Be Smiling)

From Inbox Surprise to Hardcover Reality

So… this happened.

A few months ago, while I was knee-deep in files and the noble sport of figuring out which stapler in the office still works, I got an email. My article “Why a Stoic?” was requested to be translated into Danish and was going to be published in a book called Nye Perspektiver – Antikken i et Nyt Årtusinde (New Perspectives – Antiquity in a New Millennium).

Fast forward to now—today, the book is finally here. A real, tangible thing I can hold, flip through, and accidentally drop on my foot (solid hardcover, by the way). Somewhere in its pages, my words have travelled through the mind of a translator, picked up some Scandinavian elegance, and now live in a collection read by thousands of Danish students every year.

Yes, Danish—as in Vikings, LEGO, hygge, and pastries that deserve national awards.

The book is used for a subject in Danish upper secondary schools called Oldtidskundskab (“Ancient Culture”), where about 25,000 students annually study Greek and Roman classics and reflect on their relevance today. Which means that right now, there’s a teenager in Copenhagen possibly reading my words and wondering if Stoicism can help them survive exam season. (Spoiler: it can.)

Why Stoicism?

Because the modern world is basically a giant stress buffet—pick your poison. Emails at midnight, WhatsApp groups that never sleep, climate doomscrolling, and Netflix cancelling your favourite show after a cliffhanger. You need something stronger than caffeine to stay sane.

For me, Stoicism is that thing. It’s about focusing on what you can control, making peace with what you can’t, and not losing your mind over things like traffic, cricket scores, or delivery delays.

Marcus Aurelius once wrote:“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”Or, in 2025 terms: “Stop yelling at the Wi-Fi. It’s not personal.”

From Inbox to Bookshelf

When I first got the email months ago, it felt like one of those small life victories you want to quietly treasure. Now, with the book physically here, it feels real in a way that a PDF never could. It’s humbling to know something I wrote might shape a classroom discussion an ocean away.

I didn’t write “Why a Stoic?” for international fame. I wrote it because Stoicism has been my compass—through the unpredictability of public service, personal life, and those strange spaces in between where you’re not sure if you’re winning or just surviving.

That it has now crossed continents is… well, let’s just say Marcus Aurelius might allow himself a small smile on my behalf.

If you’re reading this—whether you’re in Bhopal, Bangalore, or Billund—may you find a little Stoic calm in your daily chaos. And remember, if the Vikings could survive without Wi-Fi, so can you.