Freed by the Elements: Stoicism in Motion

When I was a kid, there was a song my parents used to sing from their days in the Scouts and Guides.

“On the high mountains, all you can hear is the wind,

all you can see is the sky,

and all you can feel is the sun.”

I didn’t know it at the time, but that line has shaped the way I train, coach, and live.

It’s a reminder that when you step out into the elements — when the rain stings, the wind pushes back, or the cold bites your skin — you meet something that feels bigger than you.

And strangely, that’s where you find freedom.

The elements strip everything else away.

No noise, no screens, no self-talk loop — just you and what’s real.

That’s the same mental state I chase when I cold plunge, when I cycle into a headwind, or when I hike in sideways rain.

The challenge isn’t the point; the clarity is.

You stop fighting reality and start aligning with it.

That’s also the heart of stoicism — not a stiff philosophy from ancient Rome, but the ultimate mind-hack for modern life.

It’s the art of staying grounded while the world moves around you.

The Stoics called it ataraxia — calm within chaos.

I call it functional training for the mind.

When you learn to face the elements — to feel the discomfort, the cold, the effort — you build a different kind of resilience.

You realize you don’t need to avoid the storm; you just need to keep your center within it.

That’s what I try to pass on through Functional Phil: movement that connects you to your body, the environment, and your own calm strength.

So the next time the wind picks up, don’t rush for cover.

Stand there for a second.

Breathe it in.

You might find that nature is a better teacher than any gym mirror — and that the Stoics were right all along:

You can’t control the weather, but you can always control your response.