Stoic Coffee Break

Stoic Coffee Break

"Act on your principles, not your moods." A weekly meditation on how Stoic principles can help you be a better human. https://stoic.coffee Follow us on social media: https://instagram.com/stoic.coffee https://twitter.com/stoiccoffee https://facebook.com/stoiccoffee

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Perception is Reality

March 27, 2024 • 0 MIN

Are you aware of how your perspective influences how you see reality? Today I want to talk about how the Stoics teach us that our perspective shapes our reality. “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. — Anias Nin

Interview With Ori Halevy: Comedian and Comedy Writer

March 26, 2024 • 99 MIN

In this episode I sit down and talk with comedian and comedy writer Ori Halevy. Ori, originally from Israel, is prominent in the large English speaking comedy in Berlin. We had a fun conversation talking about philosophy, comedy, anxiety, and why you need to laugh at life. You can find him on instagram at https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew and https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin A transcript of the audio will be posted on the podcast website at https://stoic.coffee/blog/292-interview-with-ori-halevy/

291 - Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

March 13, 2024 • 11 MIN

Do you think that you have strengths and weaknesses? What if I told you that you don’t? Today I want to talk about how strengths and weaknesses are all a matter of perspective and context. "Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections." —Harriet Braiker

290 - Laughing With The Stoics: Finding Humor on the Path to Virtue

March 5, 2024 • 11 MIN

Do you think that Stoics are too serious and all business? Do you think that if you adopt Stoic principles that you can’t have fun? Today I want to talk about humor and some of the misconceptions of Stoicism. “It’s better for us to laugh at life than to cry over it.” — Seneca

289 - Interview with Mark Tuitert: Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater and Stoic Author

February 28, 2024 • 68 MIN

This week's episode is an interview with Mark Tuitert, an Olympic gold medalist speed skater and Stoic author. We sat down in his home outside of Amsterdam and had a wonderful conversation about discipline, handling stress, forgiving parents, and about his new book The Stoic Mindset. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed the conversation. You can find out more about Mark Tuitert at https://marktuitert.nl

288 - Starting Stoicism

February 20, 2024 • 15 MIN

“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.” — Marcus Aurelius Are you new to Stoicism and want to know where to get started in learning about it and how to apply it in your life? Then this episode is for you. One of the things that I appreciate about Stoicism is that it’s very practical philosophy, and there are a lot of ideas and principles that have stood the test of time because they work in helping you live a good life. There are also misconceptions about what stoicism is and what it isn’t so today I’m going to walk you through the basics of what stoicism is, and how you can start applying it in your life immediately.

287 - Interview With Constantin Morun from Unleash Thyself

February 13, 2024 • 100 MIN

This week's episode is an interview with Constantin Morin, from the Unleash Thyself podcast. Constantin and I had a great conversation a couple of weeks ago and he's just a really warm and very insightful guy and I really enjoyed the conversation with him. I really appreciate his insights into developing the type of person that you want to become and getting over those internal blocks that keep you from reaching your full potential. I hope you enjoy this wide ranging conversation.

286 - Remember Death

February 6, 2024 • 10 MIN

"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time." — Samuel Johnson How often do you think about your death? Do you go through your life just ignoring it and thinking that it’s always a long way off? Today I want to talk about why considering your death each day can make your life richer, fuller, and happier.

285 - Ambition or Contentment

January 30, 2024 • 13 MIN

"Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well." — Epictetus One of the key aspects of stoicism is to be content with what we have. So how does this balance with ambition? If you are content, does that mean that you shouldn’t be striving to accomplish your goals? Today I want to talk about how stoicism can help you accomplish your goals while still finding contentment in your daily life.

284 - Q & A - Daily life, God, Difficult People, and Politics

January 23, 2024 • 19 MIN

This week's episode is going to be a little bit different. I've been traveling quite a bit. I am now in Amsterdam. And so I put a post out on social media a couple of weeks ago. I guess about a week or so ago, that I'm going to do a question and answer episode. This is the first time I've done this, but I thought it might be interesting to give it a go. I had some people on social media ask me some questions, I also asked some of my friends for their questions about Stoicism and just kind of about life and philosophy in general, and we'll see how this goes.

283 - Interview With Entrepreneur Gavan Wilhite

January 14, 2024 • 86 MIN

This weeks episode is an interview with Gavan Wilhite. Gavan has been an entrepreneur for over a decade and has had a few successes and a few misses. His most successful exit was when his company AltSpaceVR was purchased by Microsoft. We discuss how to use stoicism in entrepreneurship and person life to manage emotions, take risks and follow your personal principles. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed making it. You can find more information on Gavan at https://wilhite.io

282 - Timeless Principles For Handling a Changing World

January 6, 2024 • 10 MIN

"Everything is in a state of flux, and nothing remains the same. So be prepared for change, and embrace it as a natural part of life." — Marcus Aurelius Far too often we’re focused on the things that change in this world and in our lives. But what are the things that don’t change? Today I want to talk about things we can build on that can help us through the ever flowing tide of changes that happen in our lives.

281 - Self-Discipline is Self-Care

December 22, 2023 • 10 MIN

“If you are tired, rest. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign that you have been working hard and need to recharge.” — Epictetus What do you think of when you hear the term “self-care”? Do you think of indulgences like triple chocolate ice cream or a bottle of wine? When you think of self-discipline, do you think of depriving yourself of the things you enjoy? Today I want dig a little deeper and think about what self-care really means and why it’s important for us to take time out and pay some attention to ourselves.

280 - Interview With Author Ryan Bush

November 25, 2023 • 106 MIN

Ryan Bush is the author of Designing the Mind and Become Who You Are. We sat down and had an interesting conversation about a understanding self esteem and the positive case for depression.

279 - Not True But Useful

November 16, 2023 • 14 MIN

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Can you hold beliefs that are not true, but are useful? know that I talk a lot on here about trying to get as close to the truth as possible. But are there times when it is useful to believe something even if you’re not sure of it yourself?

278 - The Truth About Lying

November 11, 2023 • 16 MIN

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Noel Coward Do you lie? Do you believe that everyone lies? Why are some lies acceptable? Why should we allow people to lie without repercussions? Today I want to talk about the different kinds of lies and deceptions, and what we can do to be a bit more honest, and a little more aware when others are trying to deceive us.

277 - Embracing the Unexpected: How to Handle Life's Plot Twists Like a Stoic

October 27, 2023 • 14 MIN

“Life is a storm that will test you unceasingly. Don’t wait for calm waters that may not arrive. Derive purpose from resilience. Learn to sail the raging sea. — @TheStoicEmperor (twitter) Do you fear the unexpected? Do you stress out when life throws you a curveball? Today I want to talk about how to handle, appreciate, and even look forward to the unexpected events that life brings your way.

276 - The Zen of Zeno: Exploring the Art of Stoic Patience

October 20, 2023 • 15 MIN

"Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is 'timing' - it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way." — Fulton J. Sheen Are you a patient person? Do you pay attention in your life or are you just rushing through your day? Today I want to talk about how patience is one of the most important attributes you need to live a full life, and reach your goals.

275 - A Courageous Mind

October 12, 2023 • 14 MIN

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." — Franklin D. Roosevelt Do you live in fear? Are there things in your life that you are afraid to try? Today I want to talk about why courage is the foundational virtue of stoicism, and how to develop a courageous mind.

274 - Interview with Hannah Gaber for the Jew-ish Podcast

October 6, 2023 • 55 MIN

This weeks episode is a reposting of an episode from Jew-ish. I was interviewed for the show by the host Hannah Gaber about what it's like growing up in guess culture and comparing that to her experience of growing up in an ask culture. Hannah is fun and smart and we had a great conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

273 - The Four Types of Problems

September 27, 2023 • 16 MIN

"We must not let the impressions carry us away so that we are not in control of ourselves, but we must receive them in such a way as to be in control of ourselves." — Epictetus Do you know that some problems are simple, while others are complicated, complex, or chaotic? Do you know the difference between them? Today I want to talk about how understanding the different types problems can help you face up to your challenges more effectively.

272 - Drop Your Opinions, Live Your Principles

September 20, 2023 • 13 MIN

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Do your opinions get in your way? Do your strong opinions cause issues in your relationships? What would happen if you weren’t so attached to your opinions? Today I want to talk about why we should be willing to let go of attachments to our opinions and how doing so can help you live a happier life.

271 - Cultivating Connection: Stoic Insights on Loneliness

September 14, 2023 • 16 MIN

Do struggle with loneliness? Have the last few years of lockdowns and isolation been hard on you? Today I want to talk about loneliness, why it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored, and why it’s important for us to reach out and connect to others. “We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.” —Seneca

270 - Benefit of the Doubt

September 6, 2023 • 11 MIN

Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? When other people disappoint you do you cut them some slack? Today I want to talk about why it’s important to give people some grace, and how it can make you happier with yourself. “Everywhere, at each moment, you have the option: to accept this event with humility; to treat this person as they should be treated; to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in.” —Marcus Aurelius

269 - Getting Unstuck

August 30, 2023 • 14 MIN

Are you stuck in life? Do you feel like you can’t break out of the rut you’re in? Today I want to talk about why we get stuck and offer some ideas of how to get unstuck. “What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements about these things.” — Epictetus

268 - Creation is the Purpose of Life

August 22, 2023 • 14 MIN

What do you think the purpose of life is? Do you ever wonder why we’re here? Today I want to talk about some ideas of what we’re supposed to do with the one life that we have. “Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual." — Arthur Koestler

267 - Conquering Victimhood with a Stoic Mindset

August 14, 2023 • 14 MIN

Are you a victim? Do you put yourself in the role of a victim rather than owning up to and taking responsibility for yourself? Today I want to talk about why we fall into the role of victim and how we can step up and be responsible for ourselves. “An ignorant person is inclined to blame others for his own misfortune. To blame oneself is proof of progress. But the wise man never has to blame another or himself.” — Epictetus

266 - Finding Balance: The Paradox of Pain and Pleasure

August 2, 2023 • 14 MIN

Do you think that life should be all pleasure and no pain? This week I want to talk about the balance between pain and pleasure and why if you want more pleasure, you may have to add more pain to your life. “If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.” —Epictetus

265 - The Road to Growth: Why the Journey Matters More Than the Destination

July 27, 2023 • 12 MIN

Why do you set goals? Why is it important for you to accomplish those goals? Today I want to talk about why we should try to accomplish goals, even we never achieve them. “Show me someone for whom success is less important than the manner in which it is achieved.” — Epictetus

264 - Personal Maintenance

July 19, 2023 • 13 MIN

Are you always looking for the lazy solution? Do you try to find “one and done” solutions to the problems in your life? Today I want to talk about how most progress is not just about knowing what to do, but about doing it consistently. “How do you move forward? One step at a time. How do you lose weight? One kilo at a time. How do you write a book? One page at a time. How do you build a relationship? One day at a time. In a world obsessed with speed, never forget things of real worth and value take time.” — Thibaut

July 4, 2023 • 12 MIN

“It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens.” ― Epictetus Do you think of yourself as a “self”? What if we had no part of us that was an enduring self? How would that change how you acted in the world? Today I want to talk about the idea of how we would view the world different if there was no self.

262 - The Inverse Law Of Desire

June 28, 2023 • 11 MIN

Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want. — Naval Ravikant Do you struggle with getting the things that you want in you life? Are you unhappy because you are unable to achieve the success you want in life? Today I want to talk about an idea call the Inverse Law of Desire, and how it may be keeping you from accomplishing your goals in life.

261 - What Others Think

June 20, 2023 • 14 MIN

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” — Epictetus Do you worry about what others think of you? Does it keep you from doing or saying things that you would like do? Today I want to talk about thinking errors and projection and how we can use stoic ideas to clean up our thinking.

260 - Suffer Well

June 13, 2023 • 13 MIN

Do you give up on things because they’re hard? How willing are you to suffer for the things that you truly want in your life? Today I want to talk about how to get what you want, and why it’s important to learn how to suffer well. "Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind." — Seneca

June 6, 2023 • 10 MIN

Do you have enemies? Are there people that you don’t like? Are there people who don’t like you? May there is someone who makes your life more difficult? Today I want to talk about the importance of having people in our lives that challenge us. “There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself - an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly.” — Antisthenes

258 - Nothing Endures But Change

June 1, 2023 • 16 MIN

How do you handle change? Does it overwhelm you? Do you try to ignore it or do you embrace it? Today I want to talk about understanding change and how we can use stoicism to help us through some rocky times. “Nothing endures but change.” — Heraclitus

257 - Face Your Fears

May 23, 2023 • 11 MIN

While we wait for life, life passes. —Seneca Are you afraid to take risks? Do you continually play it safe? Are you living a life that is comfortable but unchallenging? Today I want to talk about how we can push ourselves to take more risks and live life more fully.

256 - Developing Optimism

May 16, 2023 • 12 MIN

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. — Marcus Aurelius Are you a pessimist? Do you see the glass as half empty? Do you often get depressed when you think about the state of the world? Today I want to talk about how stoicism can help make you an optimist.

255 - The WISER Model

May 10, 2023 • 7 MIN

"Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it." — Seneca How well do you manage your emotions? Do you feel like you’re on top of things or do you feel like you let situations get under your skin? Today I want to talk about a model I came across that can be a useful tool for managing your emotions, and handling situations like a stoic.

254 - Think Of Yourself As Dead

May 2, 2023 • 10 MIN

"Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what’s left and live it properly." — Marcus Aurelius Does your past weigh heavy on you? Do you let your past mistakes keep you from making the changes you want in your life? Today I want to talk about how changing our perspective on the past can help us make better choices for the future.

253 - Digging Deep: Uncovering Your Unconscious Motivations

April 25, 2023 • 11 MIN

"No man is free who is not a master of himself." — Epictetus Do you always act the way you want to? Do you struggle to accomplish what you set out to do? Do you find it challenging to make choices that are in line with what you think you want? Today I want to talk about learning to understand why often make choices and do things that don’t line up with that we think we really want.

252 - Overwhelmed

April 18, 2023 • 13 MIN

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” — Marcus Aurelius Do you get overwhelmed with the challenges of life? When life gets too stressful do you shut down and bail out? Today I want to talk about why we let things overwhelm us and what can we do to stay on track.

251 - Conversation with Brian from the LOTS project

April 10, 2023 • 131 MIN

A wide ranging conversation with Brian, the host of the LOTS project. You can find out more information about Brian and living off the grid at https://thelotsproject.com/

250 - When Life Has Other Plans

April 4, 2023 • 9 MIN

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. — Epictetus When life throws you curveballs, how do you handle them? Do you freak out? Do you roll with it? Do you look at it as an opportunity or a disaster? Today I want to about how to keep a perspective on life that helps you keep on moving when things don’t go as planned.

249 - Strong Body for a Strong Mind

March 22, 2023 • 9 MIN

Do you take care of your body? To you treat it like a temple? Do you exercise it and strengthen it as much as your mind? Today I want to talk about how important it is to treat your body as good as, if not better than your mind It is necessary to care for the body, not for its own sake, but because it is the abode of the soul. — Musonius Rufus

248 - Interview With Author Crystal Jackson

March 13, 2023 • 138 MIN

Life is full of challenges that can knock you down, but the question is, are you going to stay down? As a romance novelist, Crystal Jackson might seem an odd choice for a guest on a podcast about stoicism, but Crystal has seen her fair share of hard knocks, and has some great lesson to share. We talk about how sometimes, the greatest challenges in our lives are also the greatest teachers. You can find more from Crystal here: https://www.crystaljacksonwriter.com/

247 - There Are No Problems, Only Choices

March 7, 2023 • 11 MIN

The stoics teach us that our perspective on life is one of the most important things that we can control. It’s our perspective that informs how we approach everything. Today I want to talk about a powerful way to look at the world using stoic principles that can help us become more resilient, and better able to handle stresses in our lives. If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. — Marcus Aurelius

246 - What Do You Deserve?

February 27, 2023 • 11 MIN

Last weeks podcast got a quite a few responses and questions. Some of them turned into some back and forth discussions about some of the ideas, so I want to dig into them a little deeper into the question of what do we deserve, and why we should be kind to others, even when they are not kind to us.

245 - Whining or Winning?

February 21, 2023 • 10 MIN

Do you think that life is fair? Do you think it’s unfair? Are others “winning” when you are not? Today I want to talk about how fall into a pretty bad way of thinking that reduces our ability to take responsibility for ourselves, and blame our unhappiness on the world outside of us. Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining. — Teddy Roosevelt

244 - Interview with John Chancey of Knowledge Brews Supreme

February 6, 2023 • 94 MIN

This weeks episode is an interview I did with Dr. John Chancey of the Knowledge Brews Supreme podcast. It was really fun to dive into all kinds of interesting philosophical topics with John. He's sharp, warm, and fun. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed chatting with John.

243 - All the Feels: How to Ride the Emotional Waves

February 1, 2023 • 15 MIN

Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions. — Elizabeth Gilbert Are you afraid of your feelings? Do you avoid, numb, or shut down your emotions? How much stress and anxiety do you create trying to avoid uncomfortable emotions? Today I want to talk about the power of emotions, and how to reduce your suffering by feeling your emotions all the way through.

242 - How to Become Another Person

January 24, 2023 • 14 MIN

If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person. – Seneca How would your life be different if you viewed yourself as something you get to create and to become someone you admire? Are you living the life you want to? If you aren’t, how do you create big changes in your life? Today I want to talk about, rather than simply growing and getting better little by little, what if you transformed yourself into something completely different?

241 - Mind Over Mood: The Stoic Art of Reframing

January 16, 2023 • 12 MIN

One of the things we talk about a lot in stoicism is that it’s our perspective on something that causes our distress. So how do we change our perspective on things? Are there tools that we can use to help us view things differently? Today I want to talk about some of the things that get in our way of broadening our perspective, and what tools we can use to help change our perspective. We see what we believe rather than what we see. — Alan Watts It is not the things themselves that disturb people, but their judgments about these things. — Epictetus https://stoic.coffee

240 - Interview with Trever Yarrish

January 9, 2023 • 104 MIN

Trever Yarrish is the owner and founder of Zeal Software and The Hiive co-working space. He is also a good friend and one of my favorite people to chat with about stoicism. He's an avid student of stoicism and brings many of the stoic principles and ideas into his companies as well as his personal life. We sat down and had a chat about life, work, family, and the importance of having a process for managing your mind and emotions.

239 - Lessons Learned

January 3, 2023 • 12 MIN

This year has been an especially rough year for many of us. I can honestly say it has been for me. In this episode, I want to talk about what I have learned over the past year, and ask you about the most important things you have learned. The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it. — Marcus Aurelius

December 27, 2022 • 9 MIN

Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself. —Marcus Aurelius How do you show up in the world? Are you acting the way that you want to? Are you being the person that you want to? If not, why not? In todays episode, I want to talk about how to live with integrity and be the person you want to be.

237 - Self Confidence

December 20, 2022 • 9 MIN

Self-confidence is not something that can be given to you. It must be earned, through hard work and determination. — Aristotle Are you confident person? Do you have faith in yourself as person? Are you comfortable with who you are? Today I want to talk about how we often will self sabotage ourselves not because we don’t have the skill or capacity to do something, but because we let self doubt creep in and stop us from sharing our gifts and talents.

236 - Nice vs. Kind

December 12, 2022 • 8 MIN

Are you a nice person or are you a kind person? Do you know the difference? Today I want to talk about whether it’s better to be nice or kind. Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. — Seneca I few weeks ago, I stumbled on a discussion on twitter of all place about the difference between being nice and being kind. It was an idea that I had never really thought about, so today I want to look at this idea from a stoic perspective.

235 - interview with Tanner Campbell of Practical Stoicism

December 5, 2022 • 50 MIN

A cross post of a chat with Tanner Campbell of the Practical Stoicism podcast. Tanner is warm, smart, and interesting, with a great podcast. If you enjoy my work then you'll probably enjoy his podcast as well.

234 - Easy Life

November 28, 2022 • 11 MIN

It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first. — Miyamoto Musashi. Do you want your life to be easy? Do you complain, get stressed out, or upset when challenges come up in your life? Today I want to talk about why we should not only accept adversity in our lives, but learn to embrace it.

233 - Anxious Future

November 21, 2022 • 8 MIN

Do you feel like the world is in chaos right now? I know that many of us feel like that. Spend a day on social media and easy to find all kinds of things wrong with the world. Is it that the world is truly more chaotic? Are things really falling apart more so than in the past? Today I want to talk about some of the reasons why some many of us feel like the world is in chaos. The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable. —Seneca

November 15, 2022 • 9 MIN

How often do you take what other people say and do personally? How often do you feel like you have to “fix” someone else’s mood? Today I want to talk about emotional responsibility, and how it can lead a stronger sense of self and keep you from getting pulled into other peoples emotional mayhem. Not to display anger or other emotions. To be free of passion and yet full of love. —Marcus Aurelius

231 - A Model of Thinking

November 7, 2022 • 10 MIN

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. —Marcus Aurelius The stoics teach us that we have control over a few things - our thoughts, our choices, and our actions. In short, our will. So is there a way that we can get better with our thinking, and improve our outcomes? Today I want to talk about a model that can help us be more aware of how our thinking impacts us, and with that awareness, improve our lives.

230 - Our Human Contract

November 2, 2022 • 12 MIN

Is it ever okay to hate someone as a stoic? Is there ever a time to have “righteous anger”? Today I want to talk about anger, hate and violence in our ever more divisive world. Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hate, and hate leads to violence. This is the equation. — Ibn Rushd

229 - Conscious Communication

October 24, 2022 • 9 MIN

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. —Rumi How you ever thought about how often we have judgments in our language? Are you even aware of how often we communicate our our opinions and feelings about others? What if we could remove judgments from our language? Today I want to talk about ways that we can make our language more clear, and increase our ability to communicate non-judgmentally with others.

October 18, 2022 • 10 MIN

Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.” —Marcus Aurelius How often have you been offended by someone? Maybe it was something someone said to you? Maybe they made a comment about your clothes or mocked something that you really liked such as your favorite football team or musician. Maybe it’s one of your siblings who always tries to put you down or get under your skin. Maybe someone on the internet posted a mean comment to a picture you put on social media. In all cases, when we are offended by something because of the thoughts we have about it and what we make it mean.

227 - Self Commitment

October 11, 2022 • 10 MIN

How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself? —Epictetus How often do you find yourself starting something only to notice a few weeks or months later that you let it fall by the wayside? Today I want to talk about why we have trouble keeping commitments to ourselves, and some ideas about how we can get better about keeping those commitments.

226 - Cognitive Dissonance

October 3, 2022 • 10 MIN

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. — Marcus Aurelius Today I want to talk about one of the most interesting things about humans, the fact that we cling so dearly to our belief systems in face of contradiction evidence, often to our own detriment. Why do humans resist changing their minds, even in the face of overwhelming evidence? How often have you changed your opinions when presented with new facts? How often have you actually changed your behavior when you learned new information? How often to you rationalize your opinion or simply deny facts because they don’t fit your belief system?

225 - Be Yourself

September 26, 2022 • 9 MIN

How much of our lives do we spend living in way to please other people? How much unhappiness do we feel in our lives because we’re not being ourselves? Today I want to talk about why it can be really hard to live authentically. "The life of those who live under a mask cannot be happy and without anxiety." ― Seneca Link to Neil Gaiman's speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWexCID-kA

224 - To You or For You

September 20, 2022 • 9 MIN

It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it. — Seneca Do you think that life just happens to you? That you are simply a pawn in the game of life? Because there are so many things that we don’t have control over in our lives, it can be easy to fall into this kind of mental trap. The problem is that when adopt this kind of thinking, then we have placed an unhelpful filter through which we view everything that happens in our lives.

223 - Controlling Others

September 12, 2022 • 8 MIN

When someone is properly grounded in life, they shouldn’t have to look outside themselves for approval. — Epictetus Living on this planet with other people can be very challenging at times. If you’re like me, sometimes you have a strong difference of opinion with someone, and you end up in an argument and spend a lot of time and energy trying to change the other persons mind. Why do we spend so much time trying to change other people or expecting that other people will change for us?

222 - Power Over Your Mind

September 6, 2022 • 8 MIN

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. —Marcus Aurelius Having a clear idea of what we can and can't control is the most fundamental principle of stoicism, and almost every other idea flows from there. This is also one of the easier concepts to understand, but so hard to actually implement. How do you manage to clearly divide what you can and can't control?

221 - Accept Life

August 29, 2022 • 13 MIN

How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life. — Marcus Aurelius How often do you complain about the hard things in your life? How often do you find yourself disappointed that things don't turn out the way you think they should? Learning to accept what life sends our way is probably one of the most challenging things to do. But to wish for life to be other than it is, is to deny reality and to miss out on learning what life can teach us.

220 - Stoics and Emotions

August 22, 2022 • 14 MIN

Everyone faces up more bravely to a thing for which he has long prepared himself, sufferings, even, being withstood if they have been trained for in advance. Those who are unprepared, on the other hand, are panic-stricken by the most insignificant happenings. —Seneca Stoicism is often seen as a tool to avoid emotions, but is this a good idea? How should stoics handle their emotions? In this episode, I respond to criticism in Psychology today that Stoicism is a fad and that it is a dangerous tool that promotes the repression of a emotion.

219 - Acceptance of Others

August 15, 2022 • 11 MIN

When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil. — Marcus Aurelius Last week I talked about accepting yourself for exactly who you are, including all the things you like and more importantly the things you don’t like about yourself. This week I want to talk about accepting others for exactly who they are. Amor Fati is the acceptance and the embracing of your fate, or what life brings your way. We usually think of applying this to just the events and circumstances of life, but have you ever thought of applying this to other people? For me I think of Amor Fati as loving everything in your life, especially those things that you don’t have control over, and one thing we don’t have control of is other people. --- Hello friends! Thank you for listening. If this podcast speaks to you, please consider give a donation on Patreon at https://patreon.com/stoiccoffee You can also find more episodes at our website, https://stoic.coffee, and pick up some great looking shirts and hoodies at the Stoic Coffee Shop at https://stoic.coffee/shop. Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Thanks again for listening.

218 - Accept Yourself

July 25, 2022 • 18 MIN

One of the hardest things for us to do, though it is one of the most important things we will ever learn, is to accept ourselves for exactly who we are. But when you decide to take this on and make it a priority, it can be one of the most life changing thing you can do. "It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own." — Marcus Aurelius --- Hello friends! Thank you for listening. If this podcast speaks to you, please consider give a donation on Patreon at https://patreon.com/stoiccoffee You can also find more episodes at our website, https://stoic.coffee, and pick up some great looking shirts and hoodies at the Stoic Coffee Shop at https://stoic.coffee/shop. Lastly if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Thanks again for listening.

217 - Interview With Donald J. Robertson

July 11, 2022 • 97 MIN

An interview with Donald J. Robertson about his new graphic novel about Marcus Aurelius called Verissimus. We talk about all kinds of stoic history and the politics of his day.

216 - Give Yourself Fully To Your Endeavors

December 20, 2021 • 10 MIN

Forget everything else. Keep hold of this alone and remember it: Each of us lives only now, this brief instant. —Marcus Aurelius Don’t let fear, low self-esteem and the negative voices hold you back from your true destiny. —David Goggins One of the hardest things for me, and I’m sure that many of you fall into the same category, is to know what you want and have the courage to go after it. There are plenty of reason why this happens, and for the most part it comes down to fear, and the two biggest are fear of failure, and fear of disapproval of others. Today I want to talk about some changes I’m making in my life, and how I’m facing these fears.

215 - The Space Between

December 13, 2021 • 9 MIN

“When force of circumstance upsets your equanimity, lose no time in recovering your self-control, and do not remain out of tune longer than you can help. Habitual recurrence to the harmony will increase your mastery of it.” ― Marcus Aurelius Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about equanimity and how it may be the most important idea that the stoics came up with. And the more I look into it, the more I see that this is the one of the most important principles, and a foundation for being able to apply the other principles more effectively. We can also see how important this is in other traditions, such as Buddhism, especially Zen Buddhism, also promotes the idea of calming the mind as one of the highest virtues.

214 - Embody Your Philosophy

December 6, 2021 • 10 MIN

Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it. — Epictetus Events in life mean nothing if you do not reflect on them in a deep way, and ideas from books are pointless if they have no application to life as you live it. — Robert Greene The hardest thing about any philosophy is being able to apply what you learn in real life. We can read all the books, watch all the videos, follow all the gurus, but until we actually apply what we've learned, all of that learning is worthless.

213 - Think Long

November 22, 2021 • 11 MIN

Everyone faces up more bravely to a thing for which he has long prepared himself, sufferings, even, being withstood if they have been trained for in advance. Those who are unprepared, on the other hand, are panic-stricken by the most insignificant happenings. — Seneca When you're in the midst of a challenge it's really hard to think clearly. It's hard sometimes to remember that this moment is just this moment and will not be forever. In this episode, I’m going to talk about how thinking longer term can help smooth out the day to day rough patches and help you stay more resilient.

November 15, 2021 • 14 MIN

Anxieties can only come from your internal judgement. — Marcus Aurelius We all have things in our lives that seems to stop us from completing things that we really want to do. Often, these things aren’t even all that big but end up being show stoppers nonetheless. Today I want to talk about why it’s important to pay attention to the things that get in your way, and some possible ways to get around them.

211 - Toxic Positivity

November 8, 2021 • 12 MIN

“To be always fortunate, and to pass through life with a soul that has never known sorrow, is to be ignorant of one half of nature.” ― Seneca Life is never meant to be kittens and rainbows. A good portion of our life is going to sadness, disappointment, and failure. In this episode, I want to talk about how being too positive can actually be bad for you.

210 - It will All Be Gone

November 1, 2021 • 4 MIN

Brief is man’s life and small the nook of the Earth where he lives; brief, too, is the longest posthumous fame, buoyed only by a succession of poor human beings who will very soon die and who know little of themselves, much less of someone who died long ago. —Marcus Aurelius

209 - Privilege

October 25, 2021 • 12 MIN

One cannot pursue one’s own highest good without at the same time necessarily promoting the good of others. A life based on narrow self-interest cannot be esteemed by any honorable measurement. Seeking the very best in ourselves means actively caring for the welfare of other human beings. Our human contract is not with the few people with whom our affairs are most immediately intertwined, nor to the prominent, rich, or well educated, but to all our human brethren. — Epictetus What kind of privileges have you had in your life? Do you recognize the advantages that you have enjoyed? In this episode I want to talk about privilege, and how the stoics encourage us to use the privliges we have to improve society.

208 - Radical Candor

October 18, 2021 • 10 MIN

It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own. – Marcus Aurelius Are you afraid to tell others what you really think or how you really feel? In this episode I want to talk about the idea of radical candor, and how committing to being honest about what you think and feel is one of the most challenging but rewarding things you can do.

207 - Resistance

October 11, 2021 • 9 MIN

Don’t demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them to. Accept events as they actually happen. That way peace is possible. — Epictetus What if you stopped resisting what life brought your way? What if you could cheerfully accept everything that came your way? How would that change the way you showed up in the world? This week I want to talk about the importance of dealing with what is, and not what we think it should be.

206 - The Long Ride

October 4, 2021 • 9 MIN

The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests. — Epictetus Do you think that life is meant to be comfortable? Do you make choices in your life to take the easy path and avoid discomfort? If so, then you may not be living a life as full as you could.

205 - Two Sides of the Same Coin

September 27, 2021 • 11 MIN

Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing. — Epictetus One topic that I revisit on the podcast repeatedly is how important it is to control the things that we can’ and let go of the things that we can’t. For me, this is one of the most important lessons we can learn in our lives. In this episode, I want to talk about how we be more mindful of what we can, and what we cannot control.

204 - Blame and Responsibility

September 20, 2021 • 9 MIN

If change is forced upon you, you must resist the temptation to overreact or feel sorry for yourself. — Robert Greene How often do you feel that life is unfair? That something happened that you think should not have happened to you? Maybe someone hurt you and you want them to fix it? In this episode I want to talk about blame and responsibility.

203 - Belief Without Evidence is Wrong

September 13, 2021 • 15 MIN

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. — William K. Clifford, Ethics of Belief We all like to think that we are wise, that our opinions are well thought out, and that we’re smart enough to spot when we have inconsistent beliefs. Today I want to talk about why believing something without sufficient evidence is wrong, and that idea that how we come to a belief or a conclusion is more important that the whether the belief or conclusion is correct.

202 - Life Is Long If You Know How To Use It

September 6, 2021 • 13 MIN

“While we wait for life, life passes.” — Seneca Time is the most important, the most in demand resource that we have in life. Are you spending yours wisely or do you let it go to waste? Today I want to talk about time, and how we can take some steps to be mindful of how we spend it.

201 - You May Leave This Life at Any Moment

August 30, 2021 • 10 MIN

“You may leave this life at any moment: have this possibility in your mind in all that you do or say or think.” — Marcus Aurelius Do you think about death? Are you afraid of death? Do you take the time to think about what the world will be like when you are no longer here? Today I want to talk about why death is so important, and how when we avoid thinking about death, we are missing out on one of the best tools to live a fulfilling life.

200 - With Great Responsibility Comes Great Power

August 23, 2021 • 11 MIN

“The responsibility is all yours. No one can stop you from being honest or straightforward.” — Marcus Aurelius To you own your actions? Do you graciously accept the consequences of your choices? When you make a mistake do you try to cover it up? Today I want to talk about the idea that to have more control over your life, you need to accept responsibility for everything you do.

199 - What are you Thinking?

August 16, 2021 • 12 MIN

“Objective judgment, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now at this very moment. Willing acceptance – now at this very moment – of all external events. That’s all you need.” — Marcus Aurelius How aware are you of what you are thinking? What you are feeling? Most of us like to think that we are pretty aware of what’s going on in our minds or what emotion is currently driving us. I mean, we’re the one inside of our mind, so we should know what we’re thinking or feeling, right? Well, not always. Often, the thoughts and emotions inside my head are busy, confusing, conflicting, and overwhelming. So today we’re going to talk about the most important mental skill you can develop, awareness.

198 - The Fear of Knowing What You Want

August 9, 2021 • 13 MIN

 “Everything, a horse, a vine, is created for some duty. For what task, then, were you yourself created? A person’s true delight is to do the things they were made for.” —Marcus Aurelius Do you really know what you want? When you think about what you want, does it excite you? Does it scare you? Are you pursuing what you want? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about why it’s scary to know what you want, and why that’s a good thing.

197 - What's Your Excuse?

August 2, 2021 • 11 MIN

“Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Put your principles into practice–now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! […] Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do–now.” — Epictetus We all have events and challenges that happen in our lives. That what life is all about. When the stoics use the term Amor Fati, what they mean is to love your fate, to love and accept what life sends your way. How you feel about the events that happen to you in your life will not change if they are going to happen or not. They will happen. What thoughts you have around these events, how you feel about them, and how you respond to them are the only things that you have control over. If this is the case, why do we make excuses? Why do we come up with rationalizations about these how we do or don’t, especially when the rationalizations just make us feel worse about the actions we want to take anyway?

196 - How to Win an Argument

July 26, 2021 • 11 MIN

It is possible to curb your arrogance, to overcome pleasure and pain, to rise above your ambition, and to not be angry with stupid and ungrateful people — yes, even to care for them. — Marcus Aurelius How do you win an argument? All of us have to deal with conflict in our lives. To think otherwise is completely unrealistic. But when we have an argument, what is our goal? What do we hope to achieve? To change the other person’s mind? To prove that we are right? Today I want to talk about why we argue, and the best way to win an argument.

195 - Why You Should Care

July 19, 2021 • 11 MIN

“Humans exist for the sake of one another.” — Marcus Aurelius A few weeks ago I talked about being self-sovereign, that you are in 100% responsible for your choices and actions, and that you may live exactly the want to, regardless of the opinions of others. I got to thinking about it, and I wanted to cover another aspect of what it means to be self-sovereign. When you choose to live by your rules and values, it means that you are only controlling the things that you can control, and not trying to control those you can’t. But does this mean that you can ignore everyone around you and live in ways that are only helpful to you? Yes, you can. But does that mean that you should?

194 - Find Your Why

July 12, 2021 • 12 MIN

“So you were born to feel ‘nice’? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?” — Marcus Aurelius One of the toughest things in life is to work at a job we don’t like. There are plenty of factors that can lead to job satisfaction. Many of them are outside of our control, but there are some that aren’t, and those are the most important ones because they can lead to true job satisfaction, and maybe to finding your purpose in life.

193 - 10,000 Kicks

July 5, 2021 • 9 MIN

“If something is difficult for you to accomplish, do not then think it impossible for any human being; rather, if it is humanly possible and corresponds to human nature, know that it is attainable by you as well.” — Marcus Aurelius What is the key to success? Why are some people able to achieve what they want while others languish? Today we’re going to talk about how Stoicism can help you to develop the skills it takes to reach your goals, and live your best life.

192 - Self-Sovereign

June 28, 2021 • 9 MIN

“Be content to seem what you really are.” — Marcus Aurelius One of the hardest things in our lives is to be completely honest with those around us. Why is that? Why do we hide parts of ourselves or lie about how we feel, especially with those we love the most? We are afraid of rejection. We are afraid of not belonging. We are afraid that if those closest to us really “knew” us, they would no longer love us. The need to fit in and belong is a powerful, almost primal one.

191 - Get Busy With Life's Purpose

June 21, 2021 • 9 MIN

“Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue — if you care for yourself at all — and do it while you can.” — Marcus Aurelius Does being a Stoic mean you can be apathetic? Does not reacting mean that you just give up? Because Stoicism is about controlling your response, it can easily seem that you just let things just happen and don’t take action. But to be a true Stoic, you are the opposite of apathetic. You are effective. By taking the time to choose your shot, you don’t waste time or energy on the things you can’t control. Often, we confuse action with actually doing something useful. Because Stoicism is about taking responsibility for ourselves, we need to be smart about the actions we choose. When we take the time to make a deliberate and well thought out choice. We want to be effective, not busy.

190 - The Stories We Tell Ourselves

June 14, 2021 • 11 MIN

“It is not events that disturb people, it is their judgements concerning them.” — Marcus Aurelius How often do you find yourself upset over something someone said? Maybe you’re stressed out over something that is happened. Maybe it’s the opposite and you’re extremely excited about some event happening in your life. Whatever it is, every event that causes some kind of emotion for you is all driven by the story that you tell yourself.

189 - What You Are Capable Of

May 31, 2021 • 8 MIN

“I judge you unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune. You have passed through life without an opponent—no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you.” – Seneca Have you ever thought about how much energy and effort we as humans put into seeking comfort and avoiding challenging things? So many things that we spend money on in our lives revolve around making things easier or more comfortable. Part of human evolution has been to seek comfort. We try to make things easier for ourselves. But in doing so, are we robbing ourselves of a chance to grow? In our search for convenience, do we end up weakening ourselves?

188 - Do What You Can

May 24, 2021 • 9 MIN

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt When you find yourself in a challenging situation, how much time do you spend wishing things were different than they are? Do you get stuck in thinking how it’s not fair? What if instead of wanting to things to be other than what they are, we worked with what we have? What kind of change could you have in your life and in the lives of others if you instead focused on what you could do? How much time and frustration would you save yourself? Today I want to talk about how taking action, even if it’s just a small one, can help get you on the path of moving through challenges.

187 - Yes, And...

May 17, 2021 • 8 MIN

You only live in the present, this fleeting moment. The rest of your life is already gone or not yet revealed. — Marcus Aurelius How often do you think about the future? How much time do you spend thinking about the expectations you have for yourself, your life, those around you? How much time do you spend in your mind in the future, so much so that you don’t really live in the present? Last week I talked about how it’s easy to get stuck in the past, and how doing so is a waste of energy because it not something that we have control over. Today I want to talk about holding expectations of the future can set us up for frustration and disappointment, and the tools the Stoics give us to enjoy life in the present.

186 - Stuck In The Past

May 10, 2021 • 9 MIN

“Reason shows us there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” — Seneca One of the core tenants of Stoicism is to be aware of, and to focus on what we can control and let go of those we can’t. One area that we don’t have control over is what happened in the past. It is not something that can we can change, yet it is one of the hardest things for us to let go of. Regrets are a prison of our own making, but we are the ones that hold the key to our escape. Learning how to untangle ourselves from past can bring us so peace and freedom to move more lightly in the present. -- Hello friends! Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, head on over to patreon.com/stoicoffee and help support this podcast by becoming a patron. Also stop by the website at www.stoic.coffee where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the Stoic Coffee Shop. Also, if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. Thanks again for listening.

May 3, 2021 • 10 MIN

“People exist for one another. You can instruct or endure them.” — Marcus Aurelius Everyone has needs. If you are a living, breathing human being, you have needs. Why do we find it so hard to ask for the things that we need? So why do so many of us feel like we’re broken because we have needs? In this week's episode we talk about neediness as something to be understood, not to be ignored.

184 - The Truth Never Harmed Anyone

April 26, 2021 • 8 MIN

"It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.” – Marcus Aurelius Deep down, we all harbor insecurities. We feel that we just aren’t as good as we pretend to be, or want to be. Because our ego, our identity, is wrapped up in who we think we are. When something threatens that identity, we can easily get defensive. Our egos try to maintain these boundaries of who we think we are. This week's episode is about one of the hardest things for us as human to receive - criticism. ---- Hello friends! Thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, head on over to patreon.com/stoicoffee and help support this podcast by becoming a patron. Also stop by the website at www.stoic.coffee where you can sign up for our newsletter, and buy some great looking shirts and hoodies at the Stoic Coffee Shop. Also, if you know of someone that would benefit from or appreciate this podcast, please share it. Word of mouth is the best way to help this podcast grow. Thanks again for listening.

183 - Mind And Body

April 19, 2021 • 11 MIN

“Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars. Respond to this person or that person, this challenge, this deed. Quit the evasions. Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in right now. You are not some disinterested bystander. Participate. Exert yourself.” — Epictetus One of the hardest things that we have to deal with as humans is anxiety. As humans, we evolved to be constantly aware of threats around us. This is how our brains evolved to keep us alive. That rustling in the bushes could have been a snake or tiger. The adrenaline spike got us ready in flash should we need to fight for our lives or run for safety. Without these traits, humans would not have survived very long. The problem is that we are built to handle threats that don’t exist for most of us. Getting your brain to understand and appreciate that though is a whole other challenge to our modern world. Because our brains are constantly on the lookout for threats, we may feel uncomfortable or anxious for something that we “think” we shouldn’t cause that kind of response. We also can't just "think" our way out of anxiety. Because anxiety is a physical sensation, it needs to be handled in a physical way.

182 - Want What You Have

April 12, 2021 • 7 MIN

"Don’t set your mind on things you don’t possess as if they were yours, but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they weren’t already yours." — Marcus Aurelius When we think about things that we want in our lives, we also need to think about the thing that we already have, and appreciate those things. It’s easy for us to get stuck in the mindset of only focusing on the things that we don’t have in our lives. We focus on what we are lacking as a person and where we consider ourselves as failures. We can get too focused on all the material things that we don’t have and want.

181 - Askers and Guessers

April 5, 2021 • 13 MIN

“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.” —Marcus Aurelius For people who live in a Guess Culture, learning to ask for what we want is particularly challenging. It can feel uncomfortable, produce anxiety, and in some instances can upset the "way things are supposed to be done". But learning to be a better asker can help improve communication with those around you, and remove a lot of stress from your life. Join us at https://stoic.coffee

180 - Ask For Help

March 29, 2021 • 12 MIN

“Don’t be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?” — Marcus Aurelius The Stoics teach us that we’re part of the human community, that we’re here to help and support our fellow humans. We are social animals, and as much as we may think that we are independent, we’ve thrived as humans because of our cooperation. None of us can survive just on our own. We rely on each other in a very interconnected society. So why is it SO hard to ask for help?

179 - Do Hard Things

March 22, 2021 • 17 MIN

“Give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths.” — Epictetus The unglamorous, most powerful way to accomplish your goals and becoming the person that you want to become.

178 - If It's Endurable, Then Endure It

March 15, 2021 • 11 MIN

“Everything that happens is either endurable or not. If it’s endurable, then endure it. Stop complaining. If it’s unendurable… then stop complaining. Your destruction will mean its end as well. Just remember: you can endure anything your mind can make endurable, by treating it as in your interest to do so.” — Marcus Aurelius How often do we complain about the things that we don’t like about in life? There are so many things to complain about in life. Even at this moment, there are so many things to complain about. The Pandemic. The government. Politics. Our relationships with others. Money. Even the weather. We can all find things to complain about. Complaining about something wishes things to be other than they are. It is trying to get the universe to change for us. The universe doesn’t care about our complaints. If you are able, do something about it. If you are cannot, accept it, let it go, and move on. To continue complaining is a waste of time and energy. Listen to more episodes at: https://stoic.coffee

177 - Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

March 8, 2021 • 11 MIN

“It is our own opinions that disturb us. Take away these opinions and resolve to dismiss your judgment about an act as if it were something grievous, and your anger is gone.” — Marcus Aurelius Practicing stoicism is not about repressing emotions. It is not about pretending you feel nothing. It’s about understanding how your mind works, so that you can use it to benefit you and those around you. It’s about finding balance and equanimity. It’s recognizing that you have control over what you think, feel, and do. If you are swayed by every little thing other people say, or frustrated by outside events, you will be at the whims of your emotions.

176 - Win or Learn, Then you Never Lose

March 1, 2021 • 11 MIN

“Win or learn, you never lose.” What if you could look at everything that happens to you as something you can learn from? What if you could train your mind to see everything as an opportunity? What if you could resist less, and flow more? This weeks episode we talk about how to reframe failure as opportunities to learn.

175 - Circumstances and Choices

February 22, 2021 • 12 MIN

“Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing.” — Epictetus One of the core tenants of Stoicism is understanding the things we control and the things we cannot control. Clearly seeing things we do and don’t have control over is a skill that can impact every aspect of our lives. It can help lower our stress and help us make better and faster decisions. It can save us energy by focusing on the important things in our lives and letting go of the rest.

174 - You are Good Enough

February 17, 2021 • 9 MIN

“A person’s worth is measured by the worth of what they value.” – Marcus Aurelius Each of us has things we value, but does that include ourselves? The truth of it is our thoughts, your desires, are all valid. All of them. Sure, they might be considered silly, weird, or even disgusting by others. That is their opinion. The thing is, we are allowed to live our lives any way that we want. We get to live in the way that we think is best for us. We get to choose who we want to be. We are not here to live for someone else.

173 - Change you Perspective, Change Your World

February 8, 2021 • 9 MIN

Change Your Perspective, Change Your World “It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens." – Epictetus Often times we struggle with our own perspective can color how we view ourselves and our lives. What would it take for you to change your perspective? In todays episode, we look at the story of one man who got a second chance at life, and how a shift in his perspective made all the difference.

172 - Responsiblity

February 2, 2021 • 9 MIN

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good person should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius On this podcast I talk a lot about being responsible for for your own actions and thoughts, but what does that really mean? How do you actually accomplish this?

171 - Beyond Fear

January 26, 2021 • 13 MIN

"A number of our blessings do us harm, for memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely. No one confines his unhappiness to the present.” — Seneca How different would your life be if you could live without fear? What kind of person would you be and what actions would you take if you weren’t afraid? Fear is a powerful force in our lives. It can be the driver of action or inaction. Because it taps into the hard wiring of our lizard brains, it pushes us into reacting in ways that are more basic and instinctual. In todays episode we talk about where fear comes from, and how to manage it.

170 - Boundaries

January 18, 2021 • 8 MIN

“To achieve freedom and happiness, you need to grasp this basic truth: some things in life are under your control, and others are not.” - Epictetus The first and most important teaching of Stoicism is that there are things that we control, and things we cannot and that we should focus on the things that we can control and let go of the rest. But how do we deal with things that we can’t control, but have a big impact on us? Stoicism gives us some tools to handle these situations.

169 - Why Do You Care What Others Think?

January 11, 2021 • 8 MIN

"I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others." - Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius warned us worrying about the opinion of others is a waste of time. But, if we live with other people and are social animals, shouldn’t we worry about what others think?

168 - Self Acceptance

January 4, 2021 • 15 MIN

"Equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the things which are assigned to thee by the common nature." - Marcus Aurelius How often do we hold ourselves back because of our inner critic? What if instead we practiced self acceptance, and treated ourselves like we treat a good friend - with honesty, kindness, and forgiveness?

167 - Self Advocacy

April 2, 2019 • 10 MIN

Sometimes we will say things we don't really believe or do things that we don't really want to in order to please other people order to avoid conflict. But in doing so we end up causing more problems in our relationships and have a lesser sense of self. Self Advocacy is the idea that you have the right to your own opinion, beliefs, and actions and that you don't have to try and please anyone else. Ever.

166 - Imposter Syndrome

March 25, 2019 • 9 MIN

Imposter Syndrome has killed more great works, more companies, more careers and possibilities than almost anything I know. We add qualifiers like “I’m working on becoming an actor.” Or “I work as an accountant but my side hustle is composing.” In today's episode will talk about applying lessons from one of the greatest teachers to help move past imposter syndrome.

165 - How to be Angry

March 18, 2019 • 10 MIN

When we get angry it is because something has bothered us. We’re generally not taught how to manage our anger very well. Things get pushed below the surface when they stew and remain unresolved. But are we looking at anger the wrong way? Can anger be a force for good?

164 - Thinking in Bets

March 12, 2019 • 6 MIN

Decisions are usually never black or white, right or wrong, but we usually look at them this way. In today's episode, we're going to discuss how poker can help lead us to better decision making.

163 - Self Ownership

March 4, 2019 • 7 MIN

**Self Ownership** > “I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.” > — Marcus Aurelius Are there people in your life that care about that always seem to be on the opposing side or disapprove of your choices? What are ways that you can set appropriate boundaries and hold true to yourself?

162 - Don't Kill the Message

February 25, 2019 • 8 MIN

Don’t kill the message. Often, we dismiss an idea because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We may dismiss the idea out of hand because it conflicts with our preexisting beliefs.

161 - Better Than You?

February 18, 2019 • 8 MIN

Better than you? We are always comparing ourselves to others. It is the ego’s way of feeling like the self-image that is is a good one. We want to feel like we are “doing it right”. Often this means that we compare ourselves with others, making sure that we appear or at least feel like we are “better” than they are. But what does that really mean? Why are we better? Who is the judge of what is better? Can we just look at someone else and see that they are the same just that they’ve made different choices? In today's episode, we're going to talk a bit about comparison, how it keeps us from compassion, and a simple strategy to move past it.

160 - I, Me, and Enlightenment

February 11, 2019 • 9 MIN

What if you were able to look at the world and yourself more objectively? What if you could see things without so much judgment or emotion attached? In today's episode, we talk about a basic concept about the self from Anthony De Mello that can help us act in a more objective and less reactive manner.

159 - It's About Time

December 17, 2018 • 13 MIN

“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 Time is the most important, the most in-demand resource that we have in life. Are you spending yours wisely or do you let it go to waste?

158 - How To Be Alone

December 9, 2018 • 9 MIN

“It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind, the realm of your own.” ― Marcus Aurelius Humans are very social creatures. It is our ability to be social and to cooperate in large numbers that has enabled us to create such amazing societies. We usually feel most at home when we’re with others, but there are times when we find ourselves alone. Most of us find it rather uncomfortable. How do we learn to be alone?

157 - Don't Feed the Trolls

December 3, 2018 • 9 MIN

“When someone criticizes you, they do so because they believe they are right. They can only go by their views, not yours. If their views are wrong, it is they who will suffer the consequences. Keeping this in mind, treat your critics with compassion. When you are tempted to get back at them, remind yourself, ‘They did what seemed to them to be the right thing to do.’” — Epictetus One of the hazards of being alive is the fact that we’re never going to please everyone. We’re going to have people that will not like what we do. People are going to criticize whatever it is we’re doing. And in the 21st century, this is nowhere more apparent than in social media. This weeks episode is about how to be your best online.

156 - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

November 26, 2018 • 12 MIN

“How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life” — Marcus Aurelius What could possibly go wrong? I think one of the biggest mistakes that we as humans make is that we are far too optimistic about how something we’re planning might go. In doing so we often fool ourselves into believing that it will work as planned, and overlook what could go wrong. In this weeks episode, we’ll discuss how we can take steps to avoid the blind spots that can easily derail us.

155 - Interview with Jeff Emtman of Here Be Monsters

November 19, 2018 • 51 MIN

This weeks episode is an interview with Jeff Emtman from the Here Be Monsters podcast. This is my first time interviewing someone, and Jeff is a very interesting and thoughtful guest. We talk about life challenges, creative challenges, and what it's like to drag main. Enjoy!

154 - The Paradox of Change

November 12, 2018 • 11 MIN

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” ― Marcus Aurelius One of the weirdest things about being a human is how we get comfortable with our habits, and resist change, while at the same time we get bored when things stay the same. In this weeks episode will talk about how to deal with the paradox of change.

Interview on Memento the Stoics - Santiago Proaño

November 10, 2018 • 67 MIN

I had the good fortune of being interviewed on Memonto the Stoics with Santiago Proaño, so I'm posting it as a bonus episode. Enjoy! You can find his podcast here: https://anchor.fm/memento-the-stoics/

153 - Hatred of Others

November 5, 2018 • 16 MIN

“Whoever does wrong, wrongs himself; whoever does injustice, does it to himself, making himself evil.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Are you disturbed by the political landscape that has changed so rapidly over the last 4 years? As more and more authoritarian parties come into power around the world, we see that hatred towards others - immigrants, refugees, women, minorities - seems to be at an all-time high. In these troubled times, we need to take a look at ourselves and be sure that we don’t fall into the trap of hatred and blaming others for the disappointments in our lives.

152 - Vulnerability and the Real You

October 29, 2018 • 11 MIN

Why is it hard for us to be vulnerable, especially when it comes to those we care about the most? Partners, children, family, close friends - if these are the people we are the closest to why would be afraid to be ourselves around them? In this weeks episode we’ll talk about vulnerability and the real you.

151 - To Be Unshaken

October 22, 2018 • 11 MIN

"...what you desire is something great and supreme and very near to being a god — to be unshaken. " — Seneca “I may be sincere, but never serious, because I don’t think the universe is serious.” — Allen Watts Do you struggle to live up to your principles? Do feel like when you make a mistake that all your efforts were not worth it? In this weeks episode, we’re going to talk about how to approach mistakes in a much more helpful way.

150 - The Un-Pursuit of Happiness

October 15, 2018 • 12 MIN

**The Un-Pursuit of Happiness** “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” — Emerson Do you struggle to find happiness within yourself? Do you despair every time you watch the news? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to get over this despair and how pursuing happiness may not be the best to actually finding happiness. Hey friends, thanks for listening to the podcast. If you like what you hear, I would really appreciate it if you could help support me by making a pledge on Patreon. You can find me at patreon.com/stoiccoffee. Even just a small amount helps in keeping this podcast going. Also, head on over to my website at www.stoic.coffee and sign up for our weekly newsletter. And lastly, if you know of someone that might like or could benefit from this podcast, please share it with them. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to help this podcast grow. Thanks again for listening.

149 - The Vocabulary of Anger

October 8, 2018 • 11 MIN

I talk a lot on this podcast about anger because it’s something that I’ve been working to manage in my own life. And today, I want to talk about the language of anger, and about learning to redefine and talk about anger in a different way. “For if anger listens to reason and follows where reason leads, then it is already not anger, of which obstinacy is a proper quality; if, however, it fights back and does not become quiet when it has been ordered, but is carried forward by its desire and ferocity, then it is as useless a servant of the soul as a soldier who disregards the signal for falling back. And thus, if it suffers a measure to be applied to itself, then it must be called by a different name, and it ceases to be anger, which I understand to be unrestrained and untamable.” — Seneca https://stoic.coffee

148 - Comparison and Self Judgment

October 1, 2018 • 9 MIN

“Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of — that’s the metric to measure yourself against. Your standards are. Winning is not enough. People can get lucky and win. People can be assholes and win. Anyone can win. But not everyone is the best possible version of themselves.” ― Ryan Holiday, How often do we compare ourselves with others? Why do you we get down on ourselves when someone is better than us at something? This weeks episode is about comparison, and how to get past the need to compare ourselves with others, and change the inner critic. Find more at: https://stoic.coffee

147 - Look Within

September 24, 2018 • 9 MIN

How often do we look outside of ourselves to know what to do? How often do we doubt ourselves and look to others to find a solution to a problem? How often do we seek the opinions of others to feel like we’re on the right path? This weeks episode is about learning how to find the wisdom in yourself. >“Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig. >― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations http://stoic.coffee/blog/look-within/

146 - Fear is the Killer

September 17, 2018 • 14 MIN

“There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” — Seneca (Letters from a Stoic - Letter XIII: On Groundless Fears) How many great things have never happened because of fear? How many times did you give up on a dream because of fear? This weeks episode, we’re going to talk about fear, what it is, what it does, and how to move past it.

145 - Hold True

September 10, 2018 • 7 MIN

How do you remain true to the aspirations you have? How do you not let other people’s opinions sway you from you principles? This weeks episode is about finding your values and holding true. “Attach yourself to what is spiritually superior, regardless of what other people think or do. Hold to your true aspirations no matter what is going on around you.” ― Epictetus How do you remain true to the aspirations you have? How do you not let other people’s opinions sway you from your principles? This weeks episode is about finding your values and holding true.

144 - Emotional Management

September 3, 2018 • 11 MIN

“What really frightens and dismays us is not external events themselves, but the way in which we think about them. It is not things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.” ― Epictetus When was the last time that you felt a really strong emotion? What was that emotion? Gratitude? Joy? Anger? Jealousy? Emotions are a powerful force in our lives. When channeled properly, they can be the fuel that helps push us through to accomplishing what we want. They can also drive us in ways that we aren’t expecting or don’t want.

143 - The Quality of Your Thoughts

August 27, 2018 • 9 MIN

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations As human beings, we have an amazing gift - the ability to be conscious of our own thinking. How are you taking advantage of this gift? When we are unaware of the thoughts running through our head, we are relinquishing control of our mind to the old habits and patterns that we have created in our lives and letting ourselves run on autopilot.

142 - Reject the Injury

August 20, 2018 • 10 MIN

“Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.” ― Marcus Aurelius Why do we feel a sense of injury when disagrees with us? Why do we feel hurt when someone tells us we are wrong? In this week’s episode, we’re going to talk why were worry so much about what others think of us and how to learn to deal with our ego.

141 - Motivation and Willpower

August 13, 2018 • 10 MIN

Do you feel like you have a hard time accomplishing things? Do you feel you lack the motivation to reach your goals? Today, we'll talk about some stoic ideas of accomplishing your goals.

140 - Circumstances Don't Make The Man

August 9, 2018 • 10 MIN

“Circumstances don’t make the man, they only reveal him to himself.” – Epictetus How do we deal with difficulties? Do we see them as challenges or opportunities? As something that is to be suffered through, or something that teaches us who we are? In today's episode, we're going to talk about difficult circumstances and how they are the things we should be most grateful for.

139 - Judgments

August 6, 2018 • 13 MIN

The Stoics warn us about the judgments we make and that we need to be careful about holding on to first impressions. Why do we judge others? Why do we judge ourselves? Do we even need to have an opinion about something? How do we let go of judgments?

138 - The Greatest Obstacle to Living

July 30, 2018 • 13 MIN

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow, and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune's control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” – Seneca

137 - Worthy of Your Potential

May 25, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore, give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Remain steadfast...and one day you will build something that endures: something worthy of your potential.” ― Epictetus

136 - The Scent of a Good Man

May 24, 2018 • 4 MIN

“The honest and good man ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander, as soon as he comes near him, must smell him whether he chooses or not.” ― Marcus Aurelius

135 - No Easy Thing

May 23, 2018 • 4 MIN

“You must know that it is no easy thing for a principle to become a man's own, unless each day he maintain it and hear it maintained, as well as work it out in life.” – Epictetus

134 - A Wise Man

May 22, 2018 • 4 MIN

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ” ― Epictetus

133 - A Momentary Loss of Attention

May 21, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Very little is needed for everything to be upset and ruined, only a slight lapse in reason. it’s much easier for a mariner to wreck his ship than it is for him to keep it sailing safely; all he has to do is head a little more upwind and disaster is instantaneous. In fact, he does not have to do anything: a momentary loss of attention will produce the same result. It’s much the same in our case. If you doze off, all your progress up to that point will be negated. To keep a sharp eye on your impressions, and never fall asleep. It is no small thing that is being watched over, it equates” — Epictetus

132 - Anything Can Happen

May 20, 2018 • 5 MIN

“How ridiculous and unrealistic is the man who is astonished at anything that happens in life.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Book 12

131 - Say What You Mean

May 19, 2018 • 5 MIN

“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.”    ― Epictetus

130 - Suffering Before It's Time

May 18, 2018 • 4 MIN

“He suffers more than necessary, who suffers before it is necessary.” ― Seneca

129 - Opinions and Pespective

May 17, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ― Marcus Aurelius

128 - Good Luck, Bad Luck, Who Knows?

May 16, 2018 • 6 MIN

“Man is affected, not by events, but by the view he takes of them.” — Epictetus

127 - Laugh In the Face Of Evil

May 15, 2018 • 5 MIN

“If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.”    ― Epictetus

126 - Admonition

May 14, 2018 • 6 MIN

“To admonish is better than to reproach for admonition is mild and friendly, but reproach is harsh and insulting; and admonition corrects those who are doing wrong, but reproach only convicts them.” ― Epictetus

125 - Little By Little

May 13, 2018 • 6 MIN

“Well-being is attained little by little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.” ― Zeno of Citium

May 12, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We've been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.” ― Seneca

123 - A Different Person

May 11, 2018 • 4 MIN

“If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.”    ― Seneca

122 - Contagious Thoughts

May 10, 2018 • 6 MIN

“Other people's views and troubles can be contagious. Don't sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes through your associations with others.” ― Epictetus

121 - Anger If Not Restrained...

May 9, 2018 • 6 MIN

“Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.” ― Seneca

120 - Are You Lucky?

May 8, 2018 • 6 MIN

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ― Seneca

119 - Who is Your Master?

May 7, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.” ― Epictetus

118 - Contentment and Desire

May 6, 2018 • 5 MIN

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.” ― Seneca Learning to be content with and desiring what you already have is the easiest way to happiness because you already have it.

117 - Do Good of Your Own Accord

May 5, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Even as the Sun does not wait for prayers and incantations to rise, but shines forth and is welcomed by all: so should you not wait for clapping of hands and shouts and praise to do your duty; nay, do good of your own accord, and you will be loved like the Sun.” ― Epictetus

116 - A Good Tale

May 4, 2018 • 3 MIN

“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” ― Seneca

115 - No Opinion

May 3, 2018 • 3 MIN

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.” ― Marcus Aurelius

114 - Find Your Tribe

May 2, 2018 • 5 MIN

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” — Epictetus Have you found your tribe? Have you found that group of people that are your “chosen” family, who just make you feel good? Where you feel like you are accepted and understood? Where you don’t feel like you have to be on your guard? When you find your tribe, you thrive.

113 - Plenty To Laugh At

May 1, 2018 • 4 MIN

“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.” ― Epictetus The more you learn to lighten up and are able to laugh at yourself, the more you can enjoy your life, and let go of things when they don’t work out as planned. Can you laugh at yourself? Can you let go of your ego enough to realize that you can laugh at yourself and the silly things you hold on to? If others laugh at you can you recognize that it impacts you as much as you let it? That even if they do laugh at you that it doesn’t change who you are?

112 - Anger Always Outlasts Hurt

April 30, 2018 • 7 MIN

“How much better to heal than seek revenge from injury. Vengeance wastes a lot of time and exposes you to many more injuries than the first that sparked it. Anger always outlasts hurt. Best to take the opposite course. Would anyone think it normal to return a kick to a mule or a bite to a dog?” — Seneca Why do we give into the angry path? Because anger is easy. Because there’s a part of anger that feels good at the time. The desire to strike back at those that you feel have wronged you is powerful.

111 - One Tongue, Two Ears

April 29, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.” — Epictetus Epictetus was known for his clever wit and pithy sayings, and here he’s giving us some very good advice of how we should handle ourselves in any social situation. We’ve all been around people that dominate conversations, and maybe we’ve been that person.

110 - Daily Progress

April 28, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” — Epictetus Often, we find it difficult to take the steps to improve in an area we’re weak in. We can see how we want to be, and we get impatient when we’re not make the progress that we think we should. It also hard because we often know what not to do, but we don’t quite know what we should do to get where we want to be.

109 - Reject The injury

April 27, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Remember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe that you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not respond impulsively to impressions; take a moment before reacting, and you will find it easier to maintain control.” ― Epictetus

108 - Opinion Of The Self

April 26, 2018 • 4 MIN

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.” — Marcus Aurelius

107 - Tranquility Within Your Realm

April 25, 2018 • 4 MIN

“It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind, the realm of your own.” ― Marcus Aurelius

106 - Never Beginning To Live

April 24, 2018 • 4 MIN

“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” ― Marcus Aurelius

105 - Bring Pain to Your Enemy

April 23, 2018 • 3 MIN

“Epictetus being asked how a man should give pain to his enemy answered, By preparing himself to live the best life that he can.” — Epictetus

104 - The Greater The Difficulty

April 22, 2018 • 4 MIN

“The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.” ― Epictetus

103 - With All Your Heart

April 21, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” ― Marcus Aurelius

102 - As You See Yourself

April 20, 2018 • 4 MIN

“It is unrealistic to expect people to see you as you see yourself.” ― Epictetus

101 - Mindless Pap

April 19, 2018 • 6 MIN

“Most of what passes for legitimate entertainment is inferior or foolish and only caters to or exploits people's weaknesses. Avoid being one of the mob who indulges in such pastimes. Your life is too short and you have important things to do. Be discriminating about what images and ideas you permit into your mind. If you yourself don't choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will, and their motives may not be the highest. It is the easiest thing in the world to slide imperceptibly into vulgarity. But there's no need for that to happen if you determine not to waste your time and attention on mindless pap.” ― Epictetus

100 - Life On Your Own Terms

April 18, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Do not try to seem wise to others. If you want to live a wise life, live it on your own terms and in your own eyes.” ― Epictetus

99 - Sparing Partner

April 17, 2018 • 4 MIN

“A boxer derives the greatest advantage from his sparring partner – and my accuser is my sparring partner. He trains me in patience, civility and even temper.” — Epictetus

98 - Finding Fault

April 16, 2018 • 3 MIN

“Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?” — Marcus Aurelius

97 - Only Educated Are Free

April 15, 2018 • 3 MIN

“We must not believe the many, who say that only free people ought to be educated, but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that only the educated are free.” — Epictetus

96 - Caretake This Moment

April 14, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars. Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed. Quit the evasions. Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now. You are not some disinterested bystander. Participate. Exert yourself.” ― Epictetus

95 - Imagined Anxieties

April 13, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” ― Epictetus

94 - Learn to Think Better

April 12, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents." ― Epictetus

93 - The Minds of Others

April 11, 2018 • 3 MIN

“Accustom yourself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as it is possible, try to inhabit the speaker’s mind.” — Marcus Aurelius

92 - Out of Tune

April 10, 2018 • 3 MIN

"When you have been compelled by circumstances to be disturbed in a manner, quickly return to yourself and do not continue out of tune longer than the compulsion lasts." — Marcus Aurelius

91 - And Yet Happy

April 9, 2018 • 3 MIN

“Sick and yet happy, in peril and yet happy, dying and yet happy, in exile and happy, in disgrace and happy.” — Epictetus

90 - Misfortune as Good Fortune

April 8, 2018 • 4 MIN

"Remember, too, on every occasion that leads you to vexation to apply this principle: not that this is a misfortune, but that to bear it nobly is good fortune." — Marcus Aurelius

89 - Misfortune Is No Excuse

April 7, 2018 • 4 MIN

“So does this misfortune prevent you in any way from being just, generous, sober, reasonable, careful, free from error, courteous, free, etc. – all of which together make human nature complete?” — Epictetus

88 - Lose Your Nose

April 6, 2018 • 4 MIN

“If money is your only standard, then consider that, by your lights, someone who loses their nose does not suffer any harm.“ — Epictetus

87 - Process vs. Outcome

April 5, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Show me one person who cares how they act, someone for whom success is less important than the manner in which it is achieved. While out walking, who gives any thought to the act of walking itself? Who pays attention to the process of planning, not just the outcome?” — Epictetus

86 - Overlook Many Things

April 4, 2018 • 4 MIN

"Let us overlook many things in those who are like opponents in the gymnasium. For, as I have said before, it is in our power to get out of the way and to have no suspicion or hatred." — Marcus Aurelius

85 - Everything is Only for a Day

April 3, 2018 • 3 MIN

"Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered." — Marcus Aurelius

84 - Logic and Empathy

April 2, 2018 • 3 MIN

“When somebody’s wife or child dies, to a man we all routinely say, ‘Well, that’s part of life.’ But if one of our own family is involved, then right away it’s ‘Poor, poor me!’ We would do better to remember how we react when a similar loss afflicts others.” — Epictetus

83 - The Beginning of Philosophy

April 1, 2018 • 5 MIN

"This, then, is the beginning of philosophy – an awareness of one’s own mental fitness." — Epictetus

82 - Radical Responsiblity

March 31, 2018 • 5 MIN

“We are responsible for some things, while there are others for which we cannot be held responsible.” — Epictetus

81 - Impressions and Assent of the Will

March 30, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Impressions, striking a person’s mind as soon as he perceives something within range of his senses, are not voluntary or subject to his will, they impose themselves on people’s attention almost with a will of their own. But the act of assent which endorses these impressions is voluntary and a function of the human will.” — Epictetus

80 - Bad Neighbor

March 29, 2018 • 4 MIN

“I have a bad neighbour – bad, that is, for himself. For me, though, he is good: he exercises my powers of fairness and sociability. “ — Epictetus

79 - Accept the Inevitable

March 28, 2018 • 3 MIN

“If we try to adapt our mind to the regular sequence of changes and accept the inevitable with good grace, our life will proceed quite smoothly and harmoniously.” - Epictetus

78 - Deprived of the truth

March 27, 2018 • 3 MIN

“[Treat] unenlightened souls with sympathy and indulgence, remembering that they are ignorant or mistaken about what’s most important. Never be harsh, remember Plato’s dictum: ‘Every soul is deprived of the truth against its will.’“ — Epictetus

March 26, 2018 • 4 MIN

“If you like doing something, do it regularly; if you don’t like doing something, make a habit of doing something different. The same goes for moral inclinations. When you get angry, you should know that you aren’t guilty of an isolated lapse, you’ve encouraged a trend and thrown fuel on the fire.” — Epictetus

March 25, 2018 • 4 MIN

"If you didn’t learn these things in order to demonstrate them in practice, what did you learn them for?" - Epictetus

75 - Be a Guide

March 24, 2018 • 4 MIN

“When a guide meets up with someone who is lost, ordinarily his reaction is to direct him on the right path, not mock or malign him, then turn on his heel and walk away. As for you, lead someone to the truth and you will find that he can follow. But as long as you don’t point it out to him, don’t make fun of him; be aware of what you need to work on instead.” -Epictetus

74 - Being Well Received

March 23, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Take a lyre player: he’s relaxed when he performs alone, but put him in front of an audience, and it’s a different story, no matter how beautiful his voice or how well he plays the instrument. Why? Because he not only wants to perform well, he wants to be well received – and the latter lies outside his control.“ -Epictetus

73 - One Fundamental Rule

March 22, 2018 • 5 MIN

"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can’t control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.” – Epictetus

72 - To What End?

March 21, 2018 • 3 MIN

“All our efforts must be directed towards an end, or we will act in vain. If it is not the right end, we will fail utterly.” - Epictetus

71 - Strong Mental Health

March 20, 2018 • 4 MIN

“People with a strong physical constitution can tolerate extremes of hot and cold; people of strong mental health can handle anger, grief, joy and the other emotions." - Epictetus

70 - A Well Ordered Mind

March 19, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company.” ― Seneca

69 - Persist and Resist

March 19, 2018 • 4 MIN

“There are two vices much blacker and more serious than the rest: lack of persistence and lack of self-control ... persist and resist.” - Epictetus

68 - Apathy and Superficiality

March 17, 2018 • 4 MIN

“So when you hear that even life and the like are indifferent, don’t become apathetic; and by the same token, when you’re advised to care about them, don’t become superficial and conceive a passion for externals.” - Epictetus

67 - The Neutrality of Circumstances

March 16, 2018 • 4 MIN

"Where does the good lie? ‘In the will.’ And evil? ‘Also in the will.’ And things neither good nor bad – ‘... lie in whatever is external to the will.’" - Epictetus

March 15, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Is any man afraid of change? What can take place without change? What then is more pleasing or more suitable to the universal nature? And can you take a hot bath unless the wood for the fire undergoes a change? And can you be nourished unless the food undergoes a change? And can anything else that is useful be accomplished without change? Do you not see then that for yourself also to change is just the same, and equally necessary for the universal nature?” - Marcus Aurelius

65 - Self Illusion

March 14, 2018 • 5 MIN

“What illusion about myself do I entertain?” - Epictetus

64 - Who Do You Want To Be?

March 13, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Settle on the type of person you want to be and stick to it, whether alone or in company. “ - Epictetus

63 - Giving Away Your Control

March 12, 2018 • 3 MIN

“The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.” - Epictetus

62 - Reason (Just the Facts)

March 12, 2018 • 5 MIN

“For what does reason purport to do? ‘Establish what is true, eliminate what is false and suspend judgement in doubtful cases.’ ... What else does reason prescribe? ‘To accept the consequence of what has been admitted to be correct.’“ - Epictetus

61 - A Science to Living Well

March 10, 2018 • 4 MIN

“What makes for freedom and fluency in the practice of writing? Knowledge of how to write. The same goes for the practice of playing an instrument. It follows that, in the conduct of life, there must be a science to living well.” - Epictetus

60 - Strong Impressions

March 10, 2018 • 4 MIN

“So make a practice at once of saying to every strong impression: ‘An impression is all you are, not the source of the impression.’ Then test and assess it with your criteria, but one primarily: ask, ‘Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?’” - Epictetus

59 - Dealing with Gossip

March 8, 2018 • 3 MIN

“If you learn that someone is speaking ill of you, don’t try to defend yourself against the rumours; respond instead with, ‘Yes, and he doesn’t know the half of it, because he could have said more.’” - Epictetus

58 - Open to Change

March 7, 2018 • 4 MIN

"If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance. " - Marcus Aurelius

57 - Eliminating Desire

March 6, 2018 • 4 MIN

“People to whom such things are still denied come to imagine that everything good will be theirs if only they could acquire them. Then they get them: and their longing is unchanged, their anxiety is unchanged, their disgust is no less, and they still long for whatever is lacking. Freedom is not achieved by satisfying desire, but by eliminating it.” - Epictetus

56 - Falling Short

March 5, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Do not be disgusted, discouraged, or dissatisfied if you do not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when you have failed, return again, and be content if the greater part of what you do is consistent with man’s nature. “ - Marcus Aurelius

55 - How to Talk About Yourself

March 4, 2018 • 4 MIN

“In your conversation, don’t dwell at excessive length on your own deeds or adventures. Just because you enjoy recounting your exploits doesn’t mean that others derive the same pleasure from hearing about them.” - Epictetus

54 - Nature of Humans

March 4, 2018 • 4 MIN

"To care for all men is according to man’s nature; and man should value the opinion only of those who openly live according to nature. " - Marcus Aurelius

53 - Compassion for Your Critics

March 2, 2018 • 3 MIN

“When someone criticizes you, they do so because they believe they are right. They can only go by their views, not yours. If their views are wrong, it is they who will suffer the consequences. Keeping this in mind, treat your critics with compassion. When you are tempted to get back at them, remind yourself, ‘They did what seemed to them to be the right thing to do.’” - Epictetus

52 - Contemplate

March 1, 2018 • 3 MIN

"Acquire the contemplative way of seeing how all things change into one another, and constantly attend to it, and exercise yourself in this part of philosophy. For nothing is so well suited to produce magnanimity." - Marcus Aurelius

51- Judge Precisely

February 28, 2018 • 4 MIN

“If someone bathes quickly, don’t say he doesn’t bathe properly, say he bathes quickly. If someone drinks a lot, don’t say he is a drunk, say he drinks a lot. Unless you know their reasons for their actions how can you be sure of your negative judgment of them? Not judging others too quickly will save you from misperceiving their actions.” - Epictetus

50 - No Need to Envy Others

February 27, 2018 • 4 MIN

“When you confine yourself to only those things that are under your control, you cannot be defeated. Don’t be fooled by outward appearances. People with more prestige, power, or some other distinction are not necessarily happier because of what they have. There is no reason to be envious or jealous of anyone. If you lead a rational life, the good lies within you. Our concern should be our freedom, not titles and prestigious positions. The way to freedom is not to be too concerned about things we don’t control.” -Epictetus

49 - Inner Resources

February 26, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Remember that for every challenge you face, you have the resources within you to cope with that challenge. If you are inappropriately attracted to someone, you will find you have the resource of self-restraint. When you have pain, you have the resource of endurance. When you are insulted, you have the resource of patience. If you start thinking along these lines, soon you will find that you don’t have a single challenge for which you don’t have the resource to cope.” - Epictetus

February 26, 2018 • 4 MIN

“If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.” - Marcus Aurelius

47 - What is Death?

February 24, 2018 • 3 MIN

“He who fears death fears either the loss of sensation or a different kind of sensation. But if you shall have no sensation, neither will you feel any harm; and if you will acquire another kind of sensation, you will be a different kind of living being and you will not cease to live.” - Marcus Aurelius

46 - Be Good Now

February 24, 2018 • 2 MIN

“No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.” - Marcus Aurelius

45 - Arguing to Stone

February 22, 2018 • 2 MIN

"If a man objects to truths that are all too evident, it is no easy task finding arguments that will change his mind. This is proof neither of his own strength nor of his teacher’s weakness. When someone caught in an argument hardens to stone, there is just no more reasoning with them." - Epictetus

44 - A Brief Existence

February 21, 2018 • 4 MIN

“A brief existence is common to all things, and yet you avoid and pursue all things as if they would be eternal.” - Marcus Aurelius

43 - Pleasure as Punishment

February 20, 2018 • 5 MIN

“Pleasures, when they go beyond a certain limit, are but punishments.” - Seneca

42 - Can’t Escape Yourself

February 19, 2018 • 3 MIN

“The man who spends his time choosing one resort after another in a hunt for peace and quiet, will in every place he visits find something to prevent him from relaxing.” - Seneca

41 - Perfectionism

February 18, 2018 • 5 MIN

“We abandon our pursuits because we despair of ever perfecting them.” - Epictetus

40 - Miserable by Choice

February 17, 2018 • 4 MIN

“It is essential to make oneself used to putting up with a little. Even the wealthy and the well provided are continually met and frustrated by difficult times and situations. It is in no man’s power to have whatever he wants; but he has it in his power not to wish for what he hasn’t got, and cheerfully make the most of the things that do come his way.” - Seneca

February 16, 2018 • 3 MIN

“A setback has often cleared the way for greater prosperity. Many things have fallen only to rise to more exalted heights.” - Seneca

38 - Practical Stoicism

February 15, 2018 • 5 MIN

“My advice is really this: what we hear the philosophers saying and what we find in their writings should be applied in our pursuit of the happy life. We should hunt out the helpful pieces of teaching, and the spirited and noble-minded sayings which are capable of immediate practical application - not far-fetched or archaic expressions or extravagant metaphors and figures of speech - and learn them so well that words become works.” - Seneca

37 - Tragedy? You Decide!

February 14, 2018 • 3 MIN

“What else are tragedies but the ordeals of people who have come to value externals, tricked out in tragic verse?” - Epictetus

36 - Admiration of Lunatics

February 13, 2018 • 3 MIN

Who do you seek the approval of? There’s only one person’s approval that matters.

35 - Drama Llama

February 12, 2018 • 4 MIN

Is a life with little drama boring or fulfilling?

34 - Blame Game

February 11, 2018 • 4 MIN

When something bad happens in your life who’s to blame?

33 - Beginners Mind

February 11, 2018 • 3 MIN

Let go of what you know so you can grow.

32 - Growth Takes Time

February 9, 2018 • 4 MIN

Learning a principle is easy. Applying it is hard. Growth takes time.

31 - Difficulties

February 8, 2018 • 3 MIN

Are life’s difficulties troubles to be avoided or opportunities for you to grow? It’s your choice.

February 7, 2018 • 4 MIN

How do you balance living your true self with seek the approval of others?

February 6, 2018 • 3 MIN

How do you handle haters?

28 - Journaling

February 5, 2018 • 3 MIN

Keeping track our progress is key to creating a better life.

27 - Assumptions

February 4, 2018 • 4 MIN

How do you let go of your assumptions?

26 - The Best You

February 3, 2018 • 4 MIN

Are you being the best version of yourself?

25 - Trust Your Path

February 2, 2018 • 4 MIN

Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Trust your path.

24 - Difficult People

February 1, 2018 • 4 MIN

Never assume a malice when ignorance is more likely.

23 - Role Models

January 31, 2018 • 4 MIN

The greatest emperor in Rome had role models. Who are yours?

January 30, 2018 • 5 MIN

Can you be grateful for the challenges in your life?

21 - Your Judgements

January 29, 2018 • 4 MIN

How you think about things determines how you feel about them.

20 - You Are Not Your Things

January 29, 2018 • 3 MIN

You cannot lose what you do not own

19 - Being Stoic

January 27, 2018 • 4 MIN

What does it mean to be a stoic?

18 - Being Present

January 26, 2018 • 4 MIN

Own every second that this world can give.

17 - Create Your Life

January 25, 2018 • 3 MIN

Are you creating a life that is better than death?

16 - Amor Fati: Love your fate

January 25, 2018 • 3 MIN

Why we should learn to love our fate.

15 - Emotional Responsibility

January 23, 2018 • 4 MIN

What if you could be 100% in charge of your own emotions?

14 - Receiving Criticism

January 22, 2018 • 5 MIN

How should a stoic receive criticism?

13 - Boundaries

January 21, 2018 • 4 MIN

Since we cannot control other people and have to accept them for who they are, does that mean we have to accept their bad behavior?

12 - Accepting Others

January 20, 2018 • 4 MIN

“Let philosophy scrape off your own faults, rather than be a way to rail against the faults of others,” wrote Seneca. Rather wasting time trying to change others, we should learn how be more accepting of who they are.

11 - Reacting to Circumstances

January 19, 2018 • 4 MIN

You can’t control what happens to you in your life, but you can control your reaction.

10 - Consistency

January 18, 2018 • 6 MIN

A key factor in living a principled life is consistency. What areas of your life could be improved with a little consistency?

9 - Uncomfortable Truths

January 17, 2018 • 5 MIN

What are the uncomfortable truths about yourself that you are afraid to face in your life?

8 - Unquestioned Beliefs

January 16, 2018 • 5 MIN

8 - Unquestioned Beliefs

January 15, 2018 • 6 MIN

Latest episode of Stoic Meditations

6 - The Opinions of Others

January 14, 2018 • 5 MIN

Latest episode of Stoic Meditations

5 - Learning is the new Procrastination

January 13, 2018 • 4 MIN

Learning is the new Procrastination

4 - What Are You Thinking?

January 12, 2018 • 5 MIN

4 - What Are You Thinking?

3 - Goal Shaming

January 11, 2018 • 4 MIN

Latest episode of Stoic Meditations

2 - Finding your Purpose

January 10, 2018 • 6 MIN

What are you meant to do in the world?

1 - What do you Control?

January 9, 2018 • 6 MIN

First episode. What is under your control?