July 14, 2025 by D. Paul Graham

Ever curious and always amused by the quirks of life, join D. Paul Graham each Monday for more M5T pondering.

**“She Breathes Pixie Dust and Possibility”, Photo by D. Paul Graham at Serenbe Playhouse, Chatahoochie Hills GA.**

Somewhere around flight level 320 on the way back to Savannah, I opened up my computer to clean up my images archive. It's a ritual born of airplane mode and quiet me time that I so enjoy on airplanes. And then I saw her. Tinker Bell. The image took me straight back to a magical shoot in Serenbe, just outside of Atlanta. An enchanted playhouse that required a hike through the forest to see the show. Tucked deep in the woods, the stage was perched beside a riverbed, where the natural light seemed choreographed, and imagination needed no invitation. A perfect spot for a play about Peter Pan. It was one of those moments where my camera didn’t merely capture, it witnessed and participated.

Before the flight that morning, I had read some of the ‘Daily Stoic’. Looking at the shot of Tinker Bell, it hit me. Tinker Bell is a Stoic. She doesn’t complain. She acts. She accepts what is, responds with reason, and risks everything. Not for recognition, but because it’s right. She’s passionate but principled, small but strong. Glitter aside, Tink lives by the same code carved into the heart of the Stoics. Control what you can, face what you must, and never betray your true nature. And from an image of Tink and her pixie dust, this morning’s M5T is a reminder that even as grown-ups, if we can be true to ourselves, we can continue to wonder, to hope, to play, and to imagine.

1. CONTROL THE WIND, NOT THE WEATHER. Tinker Bell knows she can't control Peter’s caprices, Wendy’s arrival, Captain Hook’s antagonism, or the ups and downs of Neverland drama. But she can control how she flutters through it. Like Epictetus said: “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Tinker Bell reacts, often with a fiery glare and assertively crossed arms, but she never flees. She shows up, defiantly, chin held high, wings fluttering, and pixie dust at the ready.

2. PASSION BURNS BUT REASON SOARS. Tinker Bell feels deeply, often with jealousy, love, and rage. But she never lets those emotions paralyze her. When Peter ignores her, she fumes. But then she acts, saving his life, and helping the Lost Boys. She doesn’t hesitate and flies directly into danger. Seneca would say she channels her passions into purpose. Stoicism doesn't mean being emotionless. It means letting reason take the reins on your ride through chaos.

3. SMALL DOESN'T MEAN POWERLESS. The Stoics taught that virtue, not status, makes a person great. Tink is barely the size of a teacup, but she never lets that stop her from changing the course of what is unfolding. She mends, builds, rescues, and sacrifices. Not for approval, but because it's right. Like Cato, Tinker Bell understands that moral courage isn't measured in inches or wingspan.

4. ACTION MATTERS MORE THAN APPLAUSE. Tink is often misunderstood because she can be jealous, petty, and difficult. And yet, in the end, she’s the one who saves the day. She doesn’t wait around for applause or acceptance of others. Her focus is on doing the right thing, not on the admiration of others. As Aurelius said, “Waste no more time arguing what a good person should be. Be one”. Emotions, sparkle, and all, Tinker Bell is one.

5. EVEN FAIRIES MUST FACE THE FLAME. The moment Tinker Bell drinks the poison meant for Peter is pure Stoic virtue. She accepts her fate. No whining. No martyrdom. Just one final, defiant act of love. Memento mori, she seems to whisper, as her light slowly dims. But, because courage rewrites the rules of Neverland, Tinker Bell returns. Not because she feared death, but because she lived fully, with love, and with the code of a Stoic.

Here's to a week of flying like Tink, recognizing that even the smallest of light shines brightly in the dark, and to living like a Stoic.

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Paul continues to try to live as a stoically as possible, minus the wings and pixie dust.

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