Remember — It’s All Ephemeral
“Alexander the Great and his mule driver both died and the same thing happened to both.” - Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius wrote to himself a simple and effective reminder to help him regain perspective and stay balanced: “Run down the list of those who felt intense anger at something: the...
Today’s Stoic Practice: Practice Misfortune
Stoicism differs from most existing schools in one important sense: its purpose is practical application. It is not a purely intellectual enterprise. It’s a tool we can use immediately to become better in our craft, better friends and better people. Today, let’s explore practicing misfortune: “It is in times of...
Good Inspiration Stands Eternal
On my desk I have a small bust of Marcus Aurelius, made in 1820 out of carrara marble. As I sit and work, it occasionally catches my eye. When it does, I stop and think about how humbling it is that someone had this made nearly 200 years ago. That...
Stoicism at TED — Defining and Overcoming Your Fears
NOTE: The TED talk is now up! Watch it below: [ted id=2799] On Monday night, at the opening event of TED, Tim Ferriss, bestselling author, entrepreneur and podcast host, introduced the practical philosophy of Stoicism to an audience of scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, politicians and some of the most influential people...
Don’t Sell Yourself Cheaply
In his Discourses, Epictetus asks a probing question: “Your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” The answer, too often, is “for pennies on the dollar.” We trade our word for a small...
Before You Freak Out, Ask Yourself These Questions
Does getting upset provide you with more options? When you worry, what are you choosing not to see? Are you worrying about what will happen later instead of doing the right thing, right now? Does what happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, and...
Make Good Choices and All Will Be Well
Epictetus says that “if your choices are beautiful, so too will you be.” It’s simple but it’s true. You are what your choices make you, nothing more and nothing less. So make good choices today. Little ones and big ones: what you eat, how you talk to people, whether to...
Keep It Simple. Really Simple.
We’re simple creatures. Give us a long list of tasks—or even a string of numbers more than about 10—and we’ll forget or get mixed up. The Stoics understood this, which is why they focus on a relatively manageable amount of subjects or disciplines. Like a good coach, they’re not training...
A Self Retreat
While there are many good reasons to travel the world, doing so to find peace or freedom is not one of them. It’s actually deeply unphilosophical. Peace of mind and freedom are things that come from within, so if you are running away from cognitive dissonance, you are actually running...
Anger Only Makes Things Worse
Something may happen today that upsets you. Someone might be rude, your car could break down, an employee might mess something up despite your very careful instructions. Your instinct may be to yell and get angry. It’s natural. But just because it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Remember...
