Stegemann makes ancient philosophy relevant at Dal talk

By Katrina Pyne, Staff Contributor

Barb Stegemann, author, motivational speaker and columnist for The Chronicle Herald, is calling on you to dump your “frenemies” and re-examine your life.
“Always strive to be better than you were yesterday,” Stegemann said. “Imagine where you will be 10 years from now.”
Stegemann came to Dalhousie’s Dunn Building Thursday evening to talk about her new book, The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen.
The book discusses how to get your life on track by applying wonder, moderation, courage, truth, justice, wisdom and beauty.
According to Barb, to begin re-examining your life you should put yourself in a positive environment. Dump the “frenemies”, she says, and instead flank yourself with people who care about you.
After she finished her presentation, Stegemann continued to speak to students one-on-one about stoic philosophy, and how to live the most fulfilled life possible.
The author says stoic wisdom was not meant to sit on a shelf. In her new book, she brings the wisdom of Plato, Socrates and Adam Smith to people wishing to advance and grow their communities.
“We’re all going to be dead in 100 years,” she says with a grin. “Isn’t that liberating?”
The author’s journey began in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She says she spent her last $5 and started again.
“There came a point for me when I wondered: Why am I here?”
“Now I have a goal: I want to have the wisdom of Solomon by the time I’m 96.”
She spoke joyously about plans for her life, the book, and the next generation. She has big plans for herself and even bigger plans for the people who attended the talk.
In order to have a mission in life you must constantly be visualizing, she believes: you must have a dream.
“Now I know why I am on this earth, I have my vision.”
Andrew Rutenberg, a physics professor at Dalhousie who attended Barb’s talk, agrees with Stegemann.
“I think you have to articulate a mission for it to become real,” says Rutenberg.
According to Stegemann, the details should never come before the dream. She greatly dislikes devil’s advocates.
“Don’t ever let anyone take your joy from you,” she says. “No one owns tomorrow.”
“I think it’s okay not to have a vision,” says Alex Myers, a fourth-year political science student at Dalhousie who attended the talk. “I am going to figure life out as I go.”
Stegemann continuously draws inspiration from the wisdom of the past but she’s keen to keep it in a modern context so readers can continuously relate.
“I imagine I will have a 56th edition to this book,” she says.
Stegemann’s next project will be The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher King. She’s almost finished doing the interviews required for the book.
She also plans to begin a “Perfume not Poppies” project in which she will advocate for businesses trading with war-torn nations.
“I am 40 and my life has just begun,” the author says. “Maybe one person comes to these talks thinking they need a compass in their life. If I could only make them realize that they have the compass – I have succeeded.”