{"id":11030,"date":"2021-05-07T18:20:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-07T22:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/?p=11030"},"modified":"2022-03-07T18:21:35","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T23:21:35","slug":"how-to-be-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/how-to-be-happy\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Be Happy: 11 Strategies Proven Over The Past 2,000 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is clear to you, I am sure, Lucilius, that no man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Seneca<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know what you\u2019re thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What do the Stoics know about being happy?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Isn\u2019t a Stoic resigned to whatever happens?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Isn\u2019t a Stoic supposed to be an unfeeling, emotionless brute?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No, no, no. Stoicism is not about eliminating emotions. It\u2019s about minimizing negative emotions like stress and anxiety and anger. It\u2019s not about accepting your powerlessness. It\u2019s about taking power over all that is inside your control. Your attitudes. Your wants. Your desires. Your opinions about what has happened. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your happiness<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happiness, the Stoics tell us, comes from within. It is a choice. And, as the slave turned teacher Epictetus said, \u201cYou can bind up my leg, but not even Zeus has the power to break my freedom of choice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stoics were happy, they wrote about happiness, and they taught others how to be happy. In this article, we want to pass their wisdom along to you. We want to give the Stoic\u2019s time-tested strategies for being happy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post is just a small sample of the kind of lessons, ideas, and stories we write about in <a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/email\">our daily email newsletter<\/a>. Every morning, we send a short (~500 word) email inspired by Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and more. Each email will help you cultivate strength, insight, and wisdom to live your best life.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join over 400,000 people who start their day off with the philosophy that has guided some of history&#8217;s greatest men and women.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script id=\"_ck_122936\" src=\"https:\/\/forms.convertkit.com\/122936?v=6\" async=\"\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a long post. It should be saved and revisited. It can be read straight through or if you prefer, feel free to click the links below to navigate to a specific section:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#what-is-happiness\">What is Happiness?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#what-causes-unhappiness\">What Causes Unhappiness?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#Stoics-on-happiness\">What Did The Stoics Say About Happiness?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#happiness-strategiess\">11 Stoic Strategies For Being Happy<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#focus-on-what-you-can-control\">[1] Focus On What You Can Control<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#do-good-to-feel-good\">[2] Do good To Feel Good<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#journal\">[3] Journal<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#take-a-walk\">[4] Take A Walk<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#do-less\">[5] Do Less<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#be-grateful\">[6] Take The Time To Be Grateful<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#connect-with-others\">[7] Connect With Others<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#strenuous-exercise\">[8]Strenuous Exercise<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#laugh\">[9] Laugh<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#let-go-of-worry-anxiety-and-regret\">[10] Let Go of Worry, Anxiety, and Regret<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"#you-have-everything-you-need\">[11] Realize: you have everything you need<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#stoic-happiness-quotes\">What Are The Best Stoic Quotes On Happiness?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#best-happiness-books\">What Are The Best Books On Happiness?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dFbAm2B9mPs\" width=\"560\" height=\"500\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>If you want to take a deeper dive into Stoicism and learn how to apply the philosophy to your life, check out\u00a0our most popular course, <a href=\"https:\/\/store.dailystoic.com\/pages\/101\">Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life<\/a>. It&#8217;s\u00a0a 14-day course that will equip you with the tools to live as vibrant and expansive a life as the Stoics. Along with 14 daily emails, there will be 3 live video sessions with bestselling author Ryan Holiday, one of the world&#8217;s foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in everyday life.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/store.dailystoic.com\/pages\/101\">Learn more here<\/a>\u00a0and make sure to register before the live cohort begins on March 22nd!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"what-is-happiness\"><\/a>What is Happiness?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The greek word for happiness is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eudaimonia<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (\u03b5\u1f50\u03b4\u03b1\u03b9\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03b1). It was the fruit of studying philosophy. They used it interchangeably with \u201cthe flourishing life\u201d and \u201cthe good life.\u201d To the Stoics, the idea of a Sage or a perfect philosopher was a direction, not a destination. And it was on the journey in that direction that one experienced eudaimonia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Donald Robertson writes in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stoicism And The Art of Happiness<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ideal Sage is therefore godlike, a mortal having progressed so far that his wisdom and eudaimonia equal that of Zeus. The aspiring Stoic tries to make progress towards perfect wisdom by regularly contemplating the Sage and emulating his thoughts and actions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stoics believed the aim of life, the highest good, was to live virtuously. A life of virtue was one with the potential to bring us personal happiness and fulfillment. It\u2019s the pursuit of virtue and good character that allows us to experience <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eudaimonia\u2014<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">happiness, flourishing, the good life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the Stoic, therefore, happiness is the pursuit of virtue. When we aim to live virtuously, a happy life follows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"what-causes-unhappiness\"><\/a>What Causes Unhappiness?<\/span><\/h1>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is not the man who has too little but the man who craves more, that is poor.\u201d Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I get what I want, I will be happy.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is perhaps the most common of all the human myths\u2014beyond the Hero\u2019s Journey, beyond Icarus\u2019s flight too close to the sun, beyond the various origin stores shared across cultures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of us tell ourselves some version of this myth to one degree or another. We think when we get older and free of the control of our parents, things will be better. We think that when we get rich, or famous or powerful, all our problems will go away. We think when we find the right person, we\u2019ll stop being lonely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We think that when we get what we want, we\u2019ll be happy.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll be happy when I get the promotion<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019ll be happy when I\u2019m a millionaire, when this diet pays off, when I hit the bestseller list<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conditional happiness is what psychologists call this kind of thinking. Like the horizon, you can walk for miles and miles and never reach it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a collective delusion.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cIt is quite impossible,\u201d Epictetus said, \u201cto unite happiness with a yearning for what we don\u2019t have. Happiness has all that it wants, and resembling the well-fed, there shouldn\u2019t be hunger or thirst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Locate that yearning for<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more, better, someday<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and see it for what it is: the enemy of happiness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose it or your happiness. As the Stoics say, the two are not compatible.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"stoics-on-happiness\"><\/a>What Did The Stoics Say About Happiness?<\/span><\/h1>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTrust me, real joy is a serious thing. Do you think someone can, in the charming expression, blithely dismiss death with an easy disposition? Or swing open the door to poverty, keep pleasures in check, or meditate on the endurance of suffering? The one who is comfortable with turning these thoughts over is truly full of joy, but hardly cheerful. It\u2019s exactly such a joy that I would wish for you to possess, for it will never run dry once you\u2019ve laid claim to its source.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We throw around words like \u201chappy\u201d and \u201cjoy\u201d casually.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m overjoyed at the news.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m happy you\u2019re here.\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s a joy to be around.\u201d \u201cI\u2019d be happy to help.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s a joyous occasion.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But none of those examples really touches on true happiness and joy. They are closer to \u201ccheer\u201d than anything else. Cheerfulness is surface level.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To the Stoics, true happiness, true joy\u2014these are deep states of being. It is what we feel inside us and has little to do with smiles or laughing. So when people say that the Stoics are dour or depressive, they\u2019re really missing the point. Who cares if someone is bubbly when times are good? What kind of accomplishment is that?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What the Stoics were after was the ability to be fully content with life. Can you bravely face what life has in store from one day to the next, can you bounce back from every kind of adversity without losing a step, can you be a source of strength and inspiration to others around you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The person that can is truly and deeply happy. They have that kind of happiness that comes from purpose, excellence, and duty. The serious kind\u2014far more serious than a smile or a chipper voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"happiness-strategies\"><\/a>11 Stoic Strategies For Being Happy<\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"focus-on-what-you-can-control\"><\/a>Focus On What You Can Control<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own . . .\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Epictetus<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gretchen Rubin is one of the most thought-provoking and influential experts on habits and happiness. She has written several New York Times best sellers, which have sold <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">millions <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of copies, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/zDAXiaF\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Happiness Project<\/span><\/i><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/4ZaLsLJ\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happier at Home<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. She also hosts the award-winning podcast <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcasts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Happier with Gretchen Rubin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In short, Gretchen Rubin has thought a lot about what it means to live a happy life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we interviewed Gretchen just before the release of her book <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/HMFmk\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outer Order, Inner Calm<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014a playbook that helps readers discover ways to make more room for happiness in their lives\u2014we asked how she maintains that inner calm with something so hectic and uncertain like a book launch.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think about actions, not outcomes. That way, I stay focused on the things I can control (more or less). So I don\u2019t think about \u201cmaking the book a success,\u201d but \u201cwriting the best book I possibly can.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gretchen is describing one of the central tenets of Stoicism. Epictetus is famous for what he called the dichotomy of control. Basically, we can control some things and can\u2019t control others\u2014and we should focus on what we can control. The Stoics knew that in the chaos of life, as in a book launch, fixating on things we can\u2019t control is not a recipe for happiness or success, but for great agony and despair.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s a good rule for all of us\u2014focus on the things you can control. Put your best efforts into the tasks in front of you today. Take care of the inputs and detach from the outcomes. Don\u2019t worry about what might happen later. Watch what it does to your happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"do-good-to-feel-good\"><\/a>Do Good To Feel Good<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA good character is the only guarantee of everlasting, carefree happiness.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eleanor Roosevelt said that the surest way to happiness was to seek it for others. She was referring to doing good, to being of service. It\u2019s how she found happiness despite the tragic loss of her father, her painful childhood. It\u2019s how she got through her troubled marriage and her husband\u2019s affairs. It\u2019s how she endured the Depression and the wars and so much else. She did good. She made herself useful. She sought relief for others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seneca said that every person we cross paths with presents us an opportunity for kindness. They also, therefore, present us an opportunity to find happiness. And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepaintedporch.com\/products\/philosophy15\">Marcus Aurelius said<\/a>, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the fruit of this life is works for the common good.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So if you want to feel better today, if you want to find a bright spot in this dark landscape of uncertainty and fear, the solution is simple: Do good. Help others. Be of service. Think less of your problems and try to help others with theirs. You\u2019ll be amazed at the happiness this brings\u2026 to you and to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"journal\"><\/a>Journal<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe title=\"7 Ways Marcus Aurelius Will Help You Journal Like A Pro | Ryan Holiday | Stoicism\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZVeUIclaMTE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the philosopher Blaise Pascal, at the root of most human activity is a desire to escape boredom and self-awareness. We go to elaborate measures, he said, to avoid even a few minutes of quiet. It was true even of the people you think had all the reasons to be happy and content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;A king is surrounded by people,\u201d Pascal wrote, \u201cwhose only thought is to divert him and stop him thinking about himself, because, king though he is, he becomes unhappy as soon as he thinks about himself.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s an observation that puts Marcus Aurelius in an even more impressive light. Think about it: Marcus Aurelius was surrounded by servants and sycophants, people who wanted favors and people who feared him. He had unlimited wealth but endless responsibility. And what did he do with this? Did he throw himself endlessly into the diversion and distraction these blessings and curses offered?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. Instead, he made sure to carve out time to sit quietly by himself with his journals. He probed his own mind on a regular basis. He thought of himself&#8211;not egotistically&#8211;but with an eye towards noticing his own failings. He questioned himself. He questioned the world around him. He refused to be distracted. He refused to give into temptation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People in his own time probably thought he was a bit dour. They wondered why he did not enjoy all the trappings of wealth and power like his predecessors. What they missed, what\u2019s so easy to miss today in our own blessed lives, is that the true path to happiness is not through externals. It\u2019s found within. It\u2019s found in the stillness. In the quiet. With yourself and a journal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"take-a-walk\"><\/a>Take A Walk<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe should take wandering outdoor walks, so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seneca wasn\u2019t the only one to talk about the importance of walking as a way to relieve the mind and body. Indeed, philosophers have been walking to think and get perspective\u2014in the mornings, in the afternoons, at sunset\u2014for centuries. The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle, for example, conducted his lectures while walking around his school in Athens as his students followed him. Nietzsche reportedly walked up to eight hours a day with a notebook and pencil in hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walking doesn\u2019t just give you the chance to nourish your mind and body. Walking also, it turns out:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduces stress and anxiety. Like any physical activity, walking helps release endorphins that can minimize stress hormones and combat mild depression. According to a report published in the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jneurosci.org\/content\/33\/18\/7770\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journal of Neuroscience<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, researchers found that physical activities like walking reorganizes the brain so that it can better cope with stress and anxiety.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A study at New Mexico Highlands University <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2017\/04\/170424141340.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has found that<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the force from our footsteps can increase the supply of blood to the brain.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Researchers at Stanford <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.stanford.edu\/2014\/04\/24\/walking-vs-sitting-042414\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have found that<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> walkers performer better on tests that measure \u201ccreative divergent thinking\u201d during and after their walks.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And a 20 year study found that walking five miles a week <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/health\/archive\/2014\/10\/walking-for-a-better-brain\/380066\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">protects the brains<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of people suffering from Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you are stressed or overwhelmed at the office, take a walk in the parking lot. When you feel suffocated at home, take a walk around the neighborhood. Talk a walk first thing in the morning. Take a walk on your lunch break. Take a walk after dinner. See what it does for your happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"do-less\"><\/a>Do Less<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s a simple recipe for happiness. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/marcus-aurelius\/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=do-less-better\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It comes from Marcus Aurelius<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the fact that it came from such a busy man with so many obligations and responsibilities should not be forgotten.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you seek tranquillity,\u201d he said, \u201cdo less.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And then he follows the note to himself with some clarification. Not <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nothing,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> less. Do only what\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">essential.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWhich brings a double satisfaction,\u201d he writes \u201cto do less, better.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow this advice today and everyday. So much of what we think we must do, so much of what we end up doing is not essential. We do it out of habit. We do it out of guilt. We do it out of laziness or we do it out of greedy ambition. And then we wonder why our performance suffers. We wonder why our heart isn\u2019t really in it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course it isn\u2019t. We know deep down there\u2019s no point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if we could do less inessential stuff, we\u2019d be able to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">better<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> do what is essential. We\u2019d also get a taste of that tranquillity that Marcus was talking about. A double satisfaction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"be-grateful\"><\/a>Take The Time To Be Grateful<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe title=\"Stoicism&#039;s Simple Secret To Being Happier | Ryan Holiday | Daily Stoic\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DtB1Uk_aJOw?start=24&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AJ Jacobs is known for his unique style of immersion journalism. He\u2019s lived, literally, according to the Bible. He\u2019s went out and met every obscure relative he could find in his family tree. In his book, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/CYtyXj\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks A Thousand<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> he went on a quest to personally thank every person who had a hand in making his morning cup of coffee\u2014the farmers, the woman who does pest control for the warehouse where the coffee is stored, the man who designed the lid, the baristas, and on and on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This last journey was the least physically trying but the most transformative. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/aj-jacobs-interview\/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=negative-bias\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our interview with AJ for DailyStoic.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he explained just how wonderful this forced exercise in gratitude has been:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One big change was related to the Stoic idea of the self-interested case for virtue. The idea that acting badly makes you feel badly. That whoever does wrong, wrongs himself. But when you act virtuously, you get a little burst of happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8230;I remember I called the woman who does pest control for the warehouse where my coffee is stored. And I said, \u201cI know this sounds strange, but I want to thank you for keeping the bugs out of my coffee.\u201d And she said, \u201cThat does sound strange. But thank YOU. You made my day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And that, in turn, made my day. By forcing myself to act in a grateful way, I became less grouchy. Ideally, gratitude should be a two-way street. It should give both parties a little dopamine boost.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/epictetus\/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=negative-bias\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The word Epictetus uses for gratitude<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eucharistos<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014means \u201cseeing\u201d what is actually occurring in each moment. He said, \u201cIt is easy to praise providence for anything that may happen if you have two qualities: a complete view of what has actually happened in each instance, and a sense of gratitude.\u201d Part of what made AJ\u2019s journey so meaningful to him and to everyone else involved is that they were really <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seeing<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> each other for the first time. He was really looking\u2014and when he saw, he said thanks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a good model for us to try in our lives. Take some time today to stop, take a step back, and get a complete view\u2014like that there are over a thousand people involved in making your morning cup of coffee possible. There\u2019s a lot we take for granted. In every moment, there are limitless opportunities to say thanks. Take them!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"connect-with-others\"><\/a>Connect With Others<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust as it would not be a foot, don\u2019t you realize that in isolation you would not be a human being? Because what is a human being? Part of a community.\u201d \u2014 Epictetus<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other,\u201d Marcus Aurelius wrote, \u201cwith an eye toward mutual benefit based on true value and never for harm.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In another spot he wrote, \u201cHuman beings have been made for the sake of one another. Teach them or endure them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And another still, \u201cMeditate often on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe. For in a sense, all things are mutually woven together and therefore have an affinity for each other\u2014for one thing follows after another according to their tension of movement, their sympathetic stirrings, and the unity of all substance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Stoicism is a philosophy that stresses independence and strength, moral rectitude and inner-life, it\u2019s essential that we don\u2019t mistake this as a justification for isolation or loneliness. We are not islands, we are social animals. We need community, we need friends, we need connection\u2014whether you\u2019re introverted or extroverted:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23586413\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">five different studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, researchers had introverted participants \u201cact extroverted.\u201d They found a severe overestimation of the negative effects and self-consciousness associated with extraverted behavior, as well as a severe underestimation of the boost in mood and happiness following an extraverted interaction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.chicagobooth.edu\/nicholas.epley\/EpleySchroederJEPG2014.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interesting study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journal of Experimental Psychology<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by a team of behavioral psychologists confirmed their hypothesis that striking up a conversation with a stranger has positive effects on the mood and wellbeing of the initiator. What they didn\u2019t expect to find was that the person with whom the conversation was initiated was <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">equally<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> positively impacted. \u201cThis mistaken preference for solitude stems partly from underestimating others\u2019 interest in connecting, which in turn keeps people from learning the actual consequences of social interaction. The pleasure of connection seems contagious,\u201d the researchers concluded.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well of course\u2014we\u2019re social beings! Our nature craves connection. The lack of connection is a poison to our happiness and well being just like cigarettes or alcohol. It poisons our minds. It poisons our relationships. It poisons our society. Step out of your bubble and engage, bond, connect. You will emerge in a great mood, guaranteed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"strenuous-exercise\"><\/a>Strenuous Exercise<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, in addition to a walk, you should make time for strenuous exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two decades before the current resurgence of Stoicism, philosophical writer and performing musician Sharon Lebell translated <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/epictetus\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Epictetus<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/yDltCM\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Lebell presents nearly one hundred lessons based on Epictetus\u2019 handbook. As we talked about above, Epictetus said our chief task in life is discerning what\u2019s inside our control and what isn\u2019t, then focusing our energy on making the right choices in regards to what\u2019s ours to decide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That process can seem distinctly mental\u2014something we must sit down, get inside our heads, deliberate over, and direct our mind\u2019s eye\u2019s full attention to. When we had a chance to talk to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/sharon-lebell\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a while back, one of the things we asked her was whether she had any great exercises or strategies to help with that chief task Epictetus spoke of so often. Interestingly, her advice was actually to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do something physical.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I get out of my head and into my body. I love Stoicism because it values logos, reason, the discerning mind.\u00a0 But I think our minds are often the wisest when we can settle them down to allow new unsought answers in. I trust the answers that surface during or as a result of my daily yoga practice. Yoga helps me drop all the things I think I know already and be accessible to effortless imagination and intuition. It helps me to listen, to receive, to allow higher order insights in. I\u2019m not trumpeting yoga per se. I think any daily practice that helps a person withdraw from the noise of everyday life so that wisdom\u2019s voice can be heard is valuable. It\u2019s different for different people.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know from the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Historia_Augusta\/Marcus_Aurelius\/1*.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historia Augusta<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that Marcus was \u201cfond of boxing and wrestling and running and fowling, played ball very skilfully, and hunted well.\u201d Epictetus often spoke about boxing and wrestling, as well, and the importance of building a strong body. Philosophers of yesteryear were known for walking as much as reading, writing, or even talking. Aristotle, for example, conducted his lectures while walking around his school in Athens as his students followed him. Nietzsche reportedly walked up to eight hours a day. Charles Darwin took three 45-minute walks per day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They all knew the benefit of getting out of their heads and into their bodies. Walking, wrestling, boxing, swimming, running, yoga\u2014all of this is a way to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">move<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> into a happier headspace. And so today and everyday, you should make sure you do it, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"laugh\"><\/a>Laugh<\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe who laughs has joy. The very soul must be happy and confident, lifted above every circumstance.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Seneca<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you know that expression, \u201cdying of laughter\u201d? You know, like\u2014\u201cI laughed so hard I almost died\u201d and \u201cOh man, I\u2019m dying. That\u2019s too funny!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you know that literally happened to one of the Stoics?? It\u2019s true. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikisource.org\/wiki\/Lives_of_the_Eminent_Philosophers\/Book_VII#Chrysippus\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diogenes Laertius recorded the story<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that Chrysippus\u2014one of history\u2019s most important Stoic thinkers, who succeeded his teacher Cleanthes (who had succeeded Zeno) as head of the Stoic school in Athens around 230 BC\u2014died at the age of 73 during the 143rd Olympiad when he saw a donkey eating figs and yelled: &#8220;Now give the ass a drink of pure wine to wash down the figs!&#8221; Diogenes continues, \u201cAnd thereupon he laughed so heartily that he died.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What a way to go! Despite their reputation as being serious and emotionless, the Stoics had a good sense of humor. \u201cWhenever I wish to enjoy the quips of a clown,\u201d Seneca wrote. \u201cI am not compelled to hunt far; I can laugh at myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stoics didn\u2019t have the science but they had the intuition to that what they say about laughter is true: it is indeed the best (and cheapest) medicine:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may be obvious that laughter reduces stress, but the reason? Laughter and humor trigger the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/hms.harvard.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/HMS_OTB_Spring10_Vol16_No2.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">brain\u2019s emotional and reward centers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the release of endorphins. That feeling of euphoria you get after a great long run\u2014that\u2019s from the release of endorphins. The brain\u2019s chemical response is exactly the same when you have a good laugh.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stressful experiences in everyday life, even from the simplest most mundane situations like car troubles, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.psychologyinspain.com\/content\/full\/2011\/15002.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">suppress the immune system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which increases the risk of infectious illness and heart disease. A good laugh can help prevent stress from accumulating and thus affecting the immune system, protecting you from disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dial up one of your favorite funny movies that you haven\u2019t watched in a while. Or binge watch that series people have been telling you about. Or watch that comedy special on Netflix. Or search YouTube for classic bits from some of the great stand-up comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Sarah Silverman, Dave Chappelle, or Robin Williams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make time for laughter\u2014today and every day.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"let-go-of-worry-anxiety-and-regret\"><\/a>Let Go Of Worry, Anxiety, and Regret<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Epictetus tells us the story of a Stoic philosopher named Agrippinus, who, during Nero\u2019s reign, was delivered some awful news one morning: He was exiled. Effective immediately. Agrippinus\u2019s response? \u201cVery well, we shall take our lunch in Aricia.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meaning: We might as well get this show on the road. No use bemoaning or weeping about it. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hey, is anyone else hungry?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s how a Stoic responds\u2014they shrug off the emotional weight of even the worst news. As we just talked about above, they have humor about it (\u201cAll things are cause for either laughter or weeping,\u201d Seneca said). They focus on what they can control and they let go of everything outside of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we interviewed Neil Pasricha\u2014the bestselling author of books like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/s09YS\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Book of Awesome<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/uarO\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Happiness Equation<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he talked about how he starts each day by writing down one thing he will let go of. For example, we interviewed him the day his book <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/IklWz\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Are Awesome<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> released, so that morning he wrote, \u201cI will let go of\u2026 worrying if my book will hit bestseller lists.\u201d He explained why he does this,<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research published in Science magazine by the neuroscientists Stefanie Brassen and her colleagues backs up how healing it can be to reveal a tiny worry or anxiety. Their study, titled <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22517323\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t Look Back in Anger!: Responsiveness to Missed Chances in Successful and Nonsuccessful Aging,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shows that minimizing regrets as we age creates greater contentment and happiness. The research also shows that holding on to regrets causes us to take more aggressive and risky actions in the future. So the healthiest and happiest people are aware of regrets they harbor and then choose to let them go.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"you-have-everything-you-need\"><\/a>Realize: You Have Everything You Need\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe title=\"What Being A Best-Selling Author Actually Feels Like\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A9daDb8lX-c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll notice that all of the strategies above don\u2019t require much to access.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We think we need a lot to be happy. We need piles of money. We need power. We need fame. We <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> get that person to marry us. We must, we must, we must\u2014there are so many things we need. Or so we think.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, deep down we know that\u2019s not true. We\u2019ve seen other people get these things and can tell it\u2019s no panacea. We have tasted these things ourselves. And what did we find? Oops, it wasn\u2019t all it was cracked up to be. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very little is needed to make a happy life,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/meditations-marcus-aurelius\/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=the-happy-life\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marcus Aurelius wrote<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cit is all within yourself in your way of thinking.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/seneca\/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=the-happy-life\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seneca similarly suggested<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the problem is not how little we have, but that we\u2019re constantly <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wanting more.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What you must realize today is that you already have everything you need to be happy. You are already rich. You already have an incredible power\u2014the power to determine your own needs and desires, the ability to say <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enough.<\/span><\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/forge.medium.com\/the-life-changing-magic-of-having-enough-38d78a5f6963\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That magical word: enough<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The happy life will never be determined by external things. No amount is enough for one who has too little, the Stoics said. Meanwhile, the person who can be grateful, who can direct their thoughts properly\u2014towards what is good in this life\u2014will be happy in any and every situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s all you need for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/5-stoic-strategies-to-create-happiness\/?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=convertkit&amp;utm_campaign=the-happy-life\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the happy life<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Seize it&#8230;if that\u2019s what you want.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"stoic-happiness-quotes\"><\/a>What Are The Best Stoic Quotes On Happiness?<\/span><\/h1>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEveryone gets one life. Yours is almost used up, and instead of treating yourself with respect, you have entrusted your own happiness to the souls of others.\u201d \u2014 Marcus Aurelius<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOther people\u2019s wills are as independent of mine as their breath and bodies. We may exist for the sake of one another, but our will rules its own domain. Otherwise the harm they do would cause harm to me. Which is not what God intended \u2014for my happiness to rest with someone else.\u201d \u2014 Marcus Aurelius<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Stoic also can carry his goods unimpaired through cities that have been burned to ashes; for he is self-sufficient. Such are the bounds which he sets to his own happiness.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is clear to you, I am sure, Lucilius, that no man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have reached the heights if we know what it is that we find joy in and if we have not placed our happiness in the control of externals.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo the one thing that can render you really happy: cast aside and trample under foot all the things that glitter outwardly and are held out to you [by the various sects which professed to teach how happiness is to be obtained] by another or as obtainable from another; look toward the true good, and rejoice only in that which comes from your own store.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe things which we actually need are free for all, or else cheap; nature craves only bread and water. No one is poor according to this standard; when a man has limited his desires within these bounds, he can challenge the happiness of Jove himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMake yourself happy through your own efforts; you can do this, if once you comprehend that whatever is blended with virtue is good, and that whatever is joined to vice is bad.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf there is anything that can make life happy, it is good on its own merits; for it cannot degenerate into evil. 7. Where, then, lies the mistake, since all men crave the happy life? It is that they regard the means for producing happiness as happiness itself, and, while seeking happiness, they are really fleeing from it.\u201d \u2014 Seneca<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"best-happiness-books\"><\/a>What Are The Best Books On Happiness?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/MO8siO\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stumbling on Happiness<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Daniel Gilbert<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/m5e1t\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Russ Harris<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/rmsCZN\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Happiness Project<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Gretchen Rubin<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/BSAzpH\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Happiness Equation<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Neil Pasricha<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/780Q\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Sonja Lyubomirsky<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geni.us\/p4AEd\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Jonathan Haidt<\/span><\/p>\n<h1>Want More?<\/h1>\n<p><em>Here are some of our best articles to help you live a good life:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/procrastination\/\">How To Overcome Procrastination Based On Ancient Philosophy<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/the-power-of-habits\/\">The Power of Habits: What The Ancients Knew About Making Good Ones &amp; Breaking Bad Ones<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/anger-management\/\">Anger Management: 8 Strategies Backed By Two Thousand Years of Practice<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/leadership\/\">How To Be A Great Leader: Timeless Leadership Traits From Roman Emperors, Philosophers, and More<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/journaling\/\">The Art of Journaling: How To Start Journaling, Benefits of Journaling, and More<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/motivation\/\">Motivation: An Ancient Guide on How To Get and Stay Motivated<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/coping-with-grief\/\">Coping With Grief: 10 Timeless Strategies From Ancient Philosophy<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIt is clear to you, I am sure, Lucilius, that no man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Seneca We know what you\u2019re thinking. What do the Stoics know about being happy? Isn\u2019t a Stoic resigned to whatever happens?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t a Stoic supposed to be an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Be Happy: 11 Strategies Proven Over The Past 2,000 Years<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/how-to-be-happy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Be Happy: 11 Strategies Proven Over The Past 2,000 Years\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cIt is clear to you, I am sure, Lucilius, that no man can live a happy life, or even a supportable life, without the study of wisdom.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Seneca We know what you\u2019re thinking. What do the Stoics know about being happy? Isn\u2019t a Stoic resigned to whatever happens?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t a Stoic supposed to be an [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/how-to-be-happy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Daily Stoic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/facebook.com\/dailystoic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-07T22:20:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-03-07T23:21:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dailystoic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/stan-b-F7m0W7QLP1s-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@dailystoic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@dailystoic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" 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