'Of all people only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy, only they truly live. Not satisfied to merely keep good watch over their own days, they annex every age to their own. All the harvest of the past is added to their store. Only an ingrate would fail to see that these great architects of venerable thoughts were born for us and have designed a way of life for us.' - Seneca

Stoicism asserts that virtue 'For nothing(meaning, chiefly, the four cardinal virtues of self-control, courage, justice, and wisdom) is happiness, and it is our perceptions of things—rather than the things themselves—that cause most of our trouble

We can’t control or rely on anything outside of our “reasoned choice”—our ability to use our reason to choose how we categorize, respond, and reorient ourselves to external events

What is the best way to live?

What do I do about my anger?

What are my obligations to my fellow human beings?

How can I deal with the difficult situations I face?

How should I handle the success or power I hold?

The discipline of perception: how we see and perceive the world around us

The discipline of action: the decisions and actions we take—and to what end

The discipline of will: how we deal with the things we cannot change, attain clear and convincing judgment, and come to a true understanding of our place in the world

By controlling our perceptions we can find mental clarity

In directing our actions properly and justly, we’ll be effective

In utilizing and aligning our will, we will find the wisdom and perspective to deal with anything the world puts before us

One day is as all days

“The 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...” - Epictetus

The single most important practice in Stouc philosophy is differentiating between what we can change and what we can’t. What we have influence over and what we do not

No matter how hard you try, you can’t make someone like you

If we can focus on making clear what parts of our day are within our control and what parts are not, we will not only be happier, we will have a distinct advantage over other people who fail to realize they are fighting an unwinnable battle

'What is the fruit of these teachings? Only the most beautiful and proper harvest of the truly educated—tranquility, fearlessness, and freedom. We should not trust the masses who say only the free can be educated, but rather the lovers of wisdom who say that only the educated are free.' - Epictetus

You picked up this book because you are learning how to live. Because you want to be freer, fear less, and achieve a state of peace. Education—reading and meditating on the wisdom of great minds—is not to be done for its own sake. It has a purpose

Knowledge—self-knowledge in particular—is freedom

“How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements—how little of your own was left to you. You will realize you are dying before your time!” - Seneca

“All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment; action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way.” - Marcus Aurelius

Control your perceptions. Direct your actions properly. Willingly accept what’s outside your control

“Let all your efforts be directed to something, let it keep that end in view. It’s not activity that disturbs people, but false conceptions of things that drive them mad.” - Seneca

“By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.” - Robert Greene

Have you taken the time to get clarity about who you are and what you stand for? Or are you tooo busy chasing unimportant things, mimicking the wrong influences, and following disappointing or unfulfilling or nonexistent paths?

'The proper work of the mind is the exercise of choice, refusal, yarning, repulsion, preparation, purpose, and assent. What then can pollute and clog the mind's proper functioning? Nothing but its own corrupt decisions.' - Epictetus

Choice - to do and think right

Refusal - of temptation

Yearning - to be better

Repulsion - of negativity, of bad influences, of what isn't true

Preparation - for what lies ahead or whatever may happen

Purpose - our guiding principle and highest priority

Assent - to be free of deception about what's inside and outside our control (and be ready to accept the latter

This is what the mind is here to do. We must make sure that it does—and see everything else as pollution or a corruption

'We must give up many things to which we are addicted, considering them to be good. Otherwise, courage will vanish, which should continually test itself. Greatness of soul will be lost, which can't stand out unless it disdains as petty what the mob regards as most desirable.' - Seneca

The little compulsions and drives we have not only chip away at our freedom and sovereignty, they cloud our clarity. We think we're in control—but are we really?

Addiction is when we've lost the freedom to abstain

You must reclaim the ability to abstain because within it is your clarity and self-control

'Some thing are in our control, while others are not. We control our opinion, choice, desire, aversion, and, in a word, everything of our own doing. We don't control our body, property, reputation, position, and, in a word, everything not of our own doing. Even more, the things in our control are by nature free, unhindered, and unobstructed, while those not in our control are weak, slavish, can be hindered, and are not our own.' - Epictetus

We can't control the external events that happen but we can control our opinion about those events

You don't control the situation, but you control what you think about it

All we have is our own mind

'The essence of good is a certain kind of reasoned choice. Externals are only the raw material for our reasoned choice, which finds its own good or evil in working with the material. If judgments about the material are straight that makes our choices good, but if those judgments are twisted, our choices turn bad.' - Epictetus

Experience steadiness, stability, and tranquility by filtering the outsidfe world through the straightener of our judgment

If our judgments are crooked because we don't use reason, then everything that follows will be crooked, and we will lose our ability to steady ourselves in the chaos and rush of life

If you want to be steady, if you want clarity, proper judgment is the best way

'For if a person shifts their caution to their own reasoned choices and the acts of those choices, they will at the same time gain the will to avoid, but if they shift their caution away from their own reasoned choices to things not under their control, seeking to avoid what is controlled by others, they will then be agitated, fearful, and unstable.' - Epictetus

Serenity and stability are results of your choices and judgment, not your environment. If you seek to avoid all disruptions to tranquility—other people, external events, stress—you will never be successful. Your problems will follow you wherever you run and hide. But if you seek to avoid the harmful and disruptive judgments that cause those problems, then you will be stable and steady wherever you happen to be

'There is only one path to happiness, and that is in giving up all outside of your sphere of choice, regarding nothing else as your possession, surrendering all else to God and Fortune.' - Epictetus

According to the Stoics, our circle of control contains one thing: YOUR MIND

You've got just one thing to manage: your choices, your will, your mind

'Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet. What thoughts now occupy my mind? Is it not fear, suspicion, desire, or something like that?' - Marcus Aurelius

Think of all the interests vying for a share of your wallet or for a second of your attention

Every human being is pulled by these internal and external forces that are increasingly more powerful and harder to resist

Philosophy is simply asking us to pay careful attention and to strive to be more than a pawn

Paying attention requires work and awareness, but isn't that better than being jerked about on a string?

'Tranquility can't be grasped by those who have reached an unwavering and firm power of judgment—the rest constantly fall and rise in their decisions, wavering in a state of alternately rejecting and accepting things. What is the cause of this back and forth? It's because nothing is clear and they rely on the most uncertain guide—common opinion.' - Seneca

Euthymia - believing in yourself and trusting that you are on the right path, and not being in doubt by following the myriad footpaths of those wandering in every direction

Euthymia produces tranquility

Clarity of vision allows us to experience euthymia

That's not to say we're always going to be 100 percent certain of everything, or that we even should be. Rather, it's that we can rest assured we're heading generally in the right direction—that we don't need to constantly compare ourselves with other people or change our mind every three seconds based on new information

Tranquility and peace are found in identifying our path and in sticking to it: staying the course—making adjustments here and there, naturally—but ignoring the distracting sirens who beckon us to turn toward the rocks

'So in the majority of other things, we address circumstances not in accordance with the right assumptions, but mostly by following wretched habit. Since all that I've said is the case, the person in training must seek to rise above, so as to stop seeking out pleasure and steering away from pain; to stop clinging to living and abhorring death; and in the case of property and money, to stop valuing receiving over giving.' - Musonius Refus

Know why you do what you do—do it for the right reasons

'I am your teacher and you are learning in my school. My aim is to bring you to completion, unhindered, free from compulsive behavior, unrestrained, without shame, free, flourishing, and happy, looking to God in things great and small–your aim is to learn and diligently practice all these things. Why then don't you complete the work, if you have the right aim and I have both the right aim and right preparation? What is missing? ... The work is quite feasible, and is the only thing in our power. ... Let go of the past. We must only begin. Believe me and you will see.' - Epictetus

As we get older, failure is not so inconsequential anymore. What's at stake is not some arbitrary grade or intramural sports trophy, but the quality of your life and your ability to deal with the world around you

Just begin the work. The rest follows

It takes an artist's eye to see that the end of life is not unlike a ripe fruit falling from its tree

There is clarity (and joy) in seeing what others can't see, in finding grace and harmony in places others overlook

Focus on what is in our control as opposed to what is not

Right now we might be laid low with struggles, whereas just a few years ago we might have lived high on the hog, and in just a few days we might be doing so well that success is actually a burden. One thing will stay constant: our freedom of choice—both in the big picture and small picture

What happened yesterday—what happened five minutes ago—is the past. We can reignite and restart whenever we like

'Ask yourself the following first thing in the morning:

What am I lacking in attaining freedom from passion?

What for tranquility?

What am I? A mere body, estate-holder, or reputation? None of these things.

What, then? A rational being.

What then is demanded of me? Meditate on your actions.

How did I steer away from serenity?

What did I do that was unfriendly, unsocial, or uncaring?

What did I fail to do in all these things?' - Epictetus

What bad habit did I curb today? How am I better? Were my actions just? How can I improve?

At the beginning or end of each day, the Stoic sits down with his journal and reviews: what he did, what he thought, what could be improved

External things can't fix internal issues

'By having some self-respect for your own mind and prizing it, you will please yourself and be in better harmony with your fellow human beings, and more in tune with the gods—praising everything they have set in order and allotted you.' - Marcus Aurelius

It's not that these men are cheap. It's because the things that matter to them are cheap

Their lifestyle is the result of prioritizing. They cultivate interests that are decidedly below their financial means, and as a result, any income would allow them freedom to pursue the things they most care about

This kind of clarity—about what they love most in the world—means they can enjoy their lives. It means they'd still be happy even if the markets were to turn or their careers were cut short by injury

The more things we desire and the more we have to do to earn or attain those achievements, the less we actually enjoy our lives—and the less free we are

'Erase the false impressions from your mind by constantly saying to yourself, I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire or any kind of disturbance—instead, seeing the true nature of things, I will give them only their due. Always remember this power that nature gave you.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Without a ruler to do it against, you can't make crooked straight.' - Seneca

Wise people serve as model and inspiration. To bounce our ideas off and test our presumptions

Pick someone, watch what they do (and what they don't do), and do your best to do the same

'At every moment keep a sturdy mind on the task at hand, as a Roman and human being, doing it with strict and simple dignity, affection, freedom, and justice—giving yourself a break from all other considerations. You can do this if you approach each task as if it is our last, giving up every distraction, emotional subversion of reason, and all drama, vanity, and complaint over your fair share. You can see how mastery over a few things makes it possible to live an abundant and devout life—for, if you keep watch over these things, the gods won't ask for more.' - Marcus Aurelius

Each day presents the chance to overthink things. Today, let's focus just on what's in front of us

'Do your job.' - Bill Belichick

Botching what's right in front of you doesn't help anything

Find clarity in the simplicity of doing your job today

“If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters—don’t wish to seem knowledgeable. And if some regard you as important, distrust yourself.” - Epictetus

You owe it to your country and your family to know generally about event that may directly affect them, but that’s about all

How much more time, energy, and pure brainpower would you have available if you drastically cut your media consumption?

How much more rested and present would you feel if you were no longer excited and outraged by every scandal, breaking story, and potential crisis?

Return to the regimen and practices that we know are rooted in clarity, good judgment, good principles, and good health

'Keep this thought handy when you feel a fit of rage coming on—it isn't manly to be enraged. Rather, gentleness and civility are more human, and therefore manlier. A real man doesn't give way to anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage, and endurance—unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.' - Marcus Aurelius

Distracting and angering opponents is an easy way to knock them off their game

Anger is not impressive or tough—it's a mistake. It's weakness

Strength is the ability to maintain a hold of oneself. It's being the person who never gets mad, who cannot be rattled, because they are in control of their passions—rather than controlled by their passions

'Who then is invincible? The one who cannot be upset by anything outside their reasoned choice.' - Epictetus

'Don't be bounced around, but submit every impulse to the claims of justice, and protect your clear conviction in every appearance.' - Marcus Aurelius

Impulses of all kinds are going to come, and your work is to control them, like brining a dog to heel

Think before you act

Who is in control here? What principles are guiding me?

'I don't agree with those who plunge headlong into the middle of the flood and who, accepting a turbulent life, struggle daily in great spirit with difficult circumstances. The wise person will endure that, but won't choose it—choosing to be at peace, rather than at war.' - Seneca

We're afraid of being still, so we seek out strife and action as a distraction. We choose to be at war when peace is in fact the more honorable and fitting choice

The man in the arena is admirable if we're in the arena for the right reasons

The paranoid often destroy themselves quicker and more spectacularly than any enemy

If you don't control your impulses, if you lose your self-control, you may be the very source of the disaster you so fear

'We have the power to hold no opinion about a thing and to not let it upset our state of mind—for things have no natural power to share our judgments.' - Marcus Aurelius

It is possible to hold no opinion about a negative thing

Practice the ability of having absolutely no thoughts about something—act as if you had no idea it ever occurred

Getting angry almost never solves anything. Usually, it makes things worse

'Hate is too great a burden to bear' - Martin Luther King Jr.

'Our soul is sometimes a king, and sometimes a tyrant. A king, by attending to what is honorable, protects the good health of the body in its care, and gives it no base or sordid command. But an uncontrolled, desire-fueled, over-indulged soul is turned from a king into that most feared and detested thing—a tyrant.' - Seneca

Power corruption comes down to the inner strength and self-awareness of individuals—what they value, what desires they keep in check, whether their understanding of fairness and justice can counteract the temptations of unlimited wealth and deference

Protect your peace of mind

'Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but 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?' - Epictetus

Why are you subjecting yourself to this? Is this really the environment you were made for? To be provoked by nasty emails and an endless parade of workplace problems? Our adrenal glands can handle only so much before they become exhausted

Is this really the life I want? Every time you get upset, a little bit of life leaves the body. Are these really the things on which you want to spend that priceless resource? Don't be afraid to make a change—a big one

Please can become punishment

'Whenever you get an impression of some pleasure, as with any impression, guard yourself from being carried away by it, let it await your action, give yourself a pause. After that, bring to mind both times, first when you have enjyed the pleasure and later when you will regret it and hate yourself. Then compare to those the joy and satisfaction you'd feel for abstaining altogether. However, if a seemingly appropriate time arises to act on it, don't be overcome by its comfort, pleasantness, and allure—but against all of this, how much better the consciousness of conquering it.' - Epictetus

Self-control is a difficult thing

It's important to connect the so-called temptation with its actual effects

Once you understand that indulging might actually be worse than resisting, the urge begins to lose its appeal. In this way, self-control becomes a real pleasure, and the temptation becomes the regret

Think before you act

Fix your attention on your intelligence. Let it do its thing

'There is nothing so certain in our fears that's not yet more certain in the fact that most of what we dread comes to nothing.' - Seneca

Many of the things that upset us are a product of the imagination, not reality

Life is difficult enough. Let's not make it harder by getting emotional about insignificant matters or digging in for battles we don't actually care about

'It is quite impossible to unite happiness with a yearning for what we don't have. Happiness has all that it wants, and resembling the well-fed, there shouldn't be hunger or thirst.' - Epictetus

Eagerly anticipating some future event, passionately imagining something you desire, looking forward to some happy scenario—as pleasurable as these activities might seem, they ruin your chance at happiness here and now

'This is the true athlete—the person in rigorous training against false impressions. Remain firm, you who suffer, don't be kidnapped by your impressions! The struggle is great, the task divine—to gain mastery, freedom, happiness, and tranquility.' - Epictetus

'Remember to conduct yourself in life as if at a banquet. As something being passed around comes to you, reach out your hand and take a moderate helping. Does it pass you by? Don't stop it. It hasn't yet come? Don't burn in desire for it, but wait until it arrives in front of you. Act this way with children, a spouse, toward position, with wealth—one day it will make you worthy of a banquet with the gods' - Epictetus

The next time you find yourself getting excited, ready to do anything and everything to get it—the equivalent of reaching across the table and grabbing a dish out of someone's hands—just remind yourself: that's bad manners and unnecessary. Then wait patiently for your turn

We might reflect that we're lucky to have been invited to such a wonderful feast (gratitude). Or that we should take our time and savor the taste of what's on offer (enjoying the present moment) but that to stuff ourselves sick with food and drink serves no one, least of all our health (gluttony is a deadly sin, after all). That at the end of the meal, it's rude not to help the host clean up and do the dishes (selflessness). And finally, the next time, it's our turn to host and treat others just as we had been treated (charity)

Is that really worth it? Is it really that pleasurable? Consider that when you crave something or contemplate indulging in a 'harmless' vice

Ceaseless, ardent desire—if not bad in and of itself—is fraught with potential complications. What we desire makes us vulnerable

'It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little.' - Diogenes

To want nothing makes one invincible—because nothing lies outside your control

When it comes to your goals and the things you strive for, ask yourself: Am I in control of them or they in control of me?

'Better they not blame my life. I begin to speak only when I'm certain what I'll say isn't better left unsaid.' - Plutarch

It's easy to act—to just dive in. It's harder to stop, to pause, to think: No, I'm not sure I need to do that yet. I'm not sure I am ready

'You shouldn't give circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don't care at all.' - Marcus Aurelius

Why bother getting mad at causes and forces far bigger than us? Why do we take these things personally? After all, external events are not sentient beings—they cannot respond to our shouts and cries—and neither can the mostly indifferent gods

Circumstances are incapable of considering or caring for your feelings, your anxiety, or your excitement. They don't care about your reaction. They are not people. So stop acting like getting worked up is having an impact on a given situation. Situations don't care at all

'Keep in mind that it isn't the one who has it in for you and takes a swipe that harms you, but rather the harm comes from your own belief about the abuse. So when someone arouses your anger, know that it's really your own opinion fueling it. Instead, make it your first response not to be carried away by such impressions, for with time and distance self-mastery is more easily achieved.' - Epictetus

Our reaction is what actually decides whether harm has occurred. If we feel that we've been wronged and get angry, of course that's how it will seem

If we retain control of ourselves, we decide whether to label something good or bad

Choose not to apply labels and choose not to react

Eventually, all of us will pass away and slowly be forgotten. We should enjoy this brief time we have on earth—not be enslaved by emotions that make us miserable and dissatisfied

It's easy to fight back. It's tempting to give them a piece of your mind. But you almost always end up with regret. You almost always wish you hadn't sent the letter

'Of all the things that are, some are good, others bad, and yet others indifferent. The good are virtues and all that share in them; the bad are the vices and all that indulge them; the indifferent lie in between virtue and vice and include wealth, health, life, death, pleasure, and pain.' - Epictetus

Image the power you'd have in your life and relationships if all the things that trouble everyone else—how thin they are, how much money they have, how long they have left to live, how they will die—didn't matter so much. What if, where others were upset, envious, excited, possessive, or greedy, you were objective, calm, and clearheaded?

It's not about avoidance or shunning, but rather not giving any possible outcome more power or preference than is appropriate

'The soul is like a bowl of water, and our impressions are like the ray of light falling upon the water. When the water is troubled, it appears that the light itself is moved too, but it isn't. So, when a person loses their composure it isn't their skills and virtues that are troubled, but the spirit in which they exist, and when that spirit calms down so do those things.' - Epictetus

The tools and aims of our training are unaffected by the turbulence of the moment. Stop. Regain your composure. It's waiting for you

Focus. Prioritize. Train your mind to ask: Do I need this thing? What will happen if I do not get it? Can I make do without it?

'An important place to begin in philosophy is this: a clear perception of one's own ruling principle.' - Epictetus

One becomes a philosopher when they begin to exercise their guiding reason and start to question the emotions and beliefs and even language that others take for granted

Live a life that is worth living

Cultivate the ability to judge yourself accurately and honestly. Look inward to discern what you're capable of and what it will take to unlock that potential

If we do not focus on our internal integration—on self-awareness—we risk external disintegration

'The person is free who lives as they wish, neither compelled, nor hindered, nor limited—whose choices aren't hampered, whose desires succeed, and who don't fall into what repels them. Who wishes to live in deception—tripped up, mistaken, undisciplined, complaining, in a rut? No one. These are base people who don't live as they wish; as so, no base person is free.' - Epicteuts

'No slavery is more disgraceful than one which is self-imposed' - Seneca

Take inventory of your obligations from time to time. How many of these are self-imposed? How many of them are truly necessary? Are you as free as you think?

There is a hidden cost to all that accumulating

Even what we get for free has a cost, if only in what we pay to store it—in our garages and in our minds

'In public avoid talking often and excessively about your accomplishments and dangers, for however much you enjoy recounting your dangers, it's not so pleasant for others to hear about your affairs.' - Epictetus

Narrative fallacy: the tendency to assemble unrelated events of the past into stories

Listen and connect with people, don't perform for them

'If a person gave away your body to some passerby, you'd be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled—have you no shame in that?' - Epictetus

We hand our minds over willingly to social media, to television, to what other people are doing, thinking, or saying

We must protect our minds. Maintain control over your mind and perceptions. It's your most prized possessions

'Above all, keep a close watch on this—that you are never so tied to your former acquaintances and friends that you are pulled down to their level. If you don't, you'll be ruined... You must choose whether to be loved by these friends and remain the same person, or to become a better person at the cost of those friends... if you try to have it both ways you will neither make progress nor keep what you once had.' - Epictetus

'From good people you'll learn good, but if you mingle with the bad you'll destroy such soul as you had.' - Musonius Rufus

'You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.' - Jim Rohn

Find your 'scene'—a group of peers who push you to be better

'Tell me with whom you consort and I will tell you who you are.' - Goethe

Consciously consider whom you allow into your life—like you are trying to cultivate the best life possible

Are they making me better? Do they encourage me to push forward and hold me accountable? Or do they drag me down to their level? Should I spend more or less time with these folks?

'We can remove most sins if we have a witness standing by as we are about to go wrong. The soul should have someone it can respect, by whose example it can make its inner sanctum more inviolable. Happy is the person who can improve others, not only when present, but even when in their thoughts.' - Seneca

'The unrestricted person, who has in hand what they will in all events, is free. But anyone who can be restricted, coerced, or pushed into something against what they will is a slave.' - Epictetus

'Whenever someone has done wrong by you, immediately consider what notion of good or evil they had in doing it. For when you see that, you'll feel compassion, instead of astonishment or rage. For you may yourself have the same notions of good or evil, or similar ones, in which case you'll make an allowance for what they've done. But if you no longer hold the same notions, you'll be more readily gracious for their error.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Nobody does wrong willingly.' - Socrates

How much more tolerant and understanding would you be today if you could see the actions of other people as attempts to do the right thing? Whether you agree or not, how radically would this lens change your perspective on otherwise offensive or belligerent actions?

We forget that we're not the only people who matter and that our lose might be someone else's gain

Ego is more than just off-putting and obnoxious. Instead, it's the sworn enemy of our ability to learn and grow

'It is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.' - Epictetus

We will be unable to improve, unable to learn, unable to earn the respect of others if we think we're already perfect, a genius admired far and wide

The fact that you can think, the fact that you can read this book, the fact that you are able to reason in and out of situations—all of this is what gives you the ability to improve your circumstances and become better

Take a little time today to remember that you're blessed with the capacity to use logic and reason to navigate situations and circumstances. This gives you unthinkable power to alter your circumstances and the circumstances of others. And remember that with power comes responsibility

'You are not your body and hair-style, but your capacity for choosing well. If your choices are beautiful, so toll will you become.' - Epictetus

Do not consider how things appear, but what effort, activity, and choices they are a result of

Someone can't frustrate you, work can't overwhelm you—these are external objects, and they have no access to your mind. Those emotions you feel, as real as they are, come from the inside, not the outside

What we assume, what we willingly generate in our mind, that's on us. We can't blame other people for making us feel stressed or frustrated any more than we can blame them for our jealousy. The cause is within us. They're just the target

'For there are two rules to keep at the ready–that there is nothing good or bad outside my own reasoned choice, and that we shouldn't try to lead events but to follow them.' - Epictetus

'The cause of my irritation is not in this person but in me.' - Anthony de Mello

Remember, each individual has a choice. You are always the one in control. The cause of irritation—or our notion that something is bad—that comes from us, from our labels or our expectations. Just as easily, we can change those labels; we can change our entitlement and decide to accept and love what's happening around us

'I may wish to be free from torture, but if the time comes for me to endure it, I'll wish to bear it courageously with bravery and honor. Wouldn't I prefer not to fall into war? But if war does befall me, I'll wish to carry nobly the wounds, starvation, and other necessities of war. Neither am I so crazy as to desire illness, but if I must suffer illness, I'll wish to do nothing rash or dishonorable. The point is not to wish for these adversities, but for the virtue that makes adversities bearable.' - Seneca

'Nowhere can you find a more peaceful and less busy retreat than in your own soul—especially if on close inspection it is filled with ease, which I say is nothing more than being well-ordered. Treat yourself often to this retreat and be renewed.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Wherever you go, there you are.' - Jon Kabat-Zinn

'What is it then to be properly educated? It is learning to apply our natural preconceptions to the right things according to Nature, and beyond that to separate the things that lie within our power from those that don't.' - Epictetus

Begin with awareness and reflection. Not just once, but every single second of every single day.

'The diseases of the rational soul are long-standing and hardened vices, such as greed and ambition—they have put the soul in a straightjacket and have begun to be permanent evils inside it. To put it briefly, this sickness is an unrelenting distortion of judgment, so things that are only mildly desirable are vigorously sought after.' - Seneca

What lapses in judgment might your vices be causing you? What 'sicknesses' might you have? And how can your rational mind step in and regulate them?

'Freedom isn't secured by filling up on your heart's desire but by removing your desire.' - Epictetus

There are two ways to be wealthy—to get everything you want or to want everything you have

If you chafe and fight and struggle for more, you will never be free

'Who watches the watchman?' - Juvenal

'How does your ruling reason manage itself? For in that is the key to everything. Whatever else remains, be it in the power of your choice or not, is but a corpse and smoke.' - Marcus Aurelius

You can be the most patient person in the world, but if science shows we make poor decisions on an empty stomach—what good is all the patience?

Learn what underpins this philosophy you're studying, how the body and mind tick

Understand not only your ruling reason—the watchman—but whoever and whatever rules that too

'Diogenes of Sinope said we sell things of great value for things of very little, and vice versa.' - Diogenes Laertius

The good things in life cost what they cost. The unnecessary things are not worth it at any price. The key is being aware of the difference

'Life without a design is erratic. As soon as one is in place, principles become necessary. I think you'll concede that nothing is more shameful than uncertain and wavering conduct, and beating a cowardly retreat. This will happen in all our affairs unless we remove the faults that seize and detain our spirits. preventing them from pushing forward and making an all-out effort.' - Seneca

People without a plan are much more likely to get overwhelmed and fall apart

The people whose opinion we covet are not all that great. They're flawed—they're distracted and wowed by all sorts of silly things themselves

'We buy things we don't need, to impress people we don't like.' - Fight Club

'Hurry to your own ruling reason, to the reason of the Whole, and to your neighbor's. To your own mind to make it just; to the mind of the Whole to remember your place in it; and to your neighbor's mind to learn whether it's ignorant or of sound knowledge—while recognizing it's like yours.' - Marcus Aurelius

If our lives are not ruled by reason, what are they ruled by? Impulse? Whim? Mimicry? Unthinking habit?

As we examine our past behavior, it's sad how often we were not acting consciously or deliberately but instead by forces we did not bother to evaluate

A mind that isn't in control of itself. that doesn't understand its power to regulate itself, will be jerked around by external events and unquestioned impulses

'Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Drama, combat, terror, numbness, and subservience—every day these things wipe out your sacred principles, whenever your mind entertains them uncritically or lets them slip in.' - Marcus Aurelius

We have the ability to put our guard up and decide what we actually allow in. You don't have to let them into your mind

'There is something of a civil war going on within all of our lives.' - Martin Luther King

The war is usually a result of our conflicting desires, our screwed-up judgments or biased thoughts. We don't stop and ask: OK, what do I really want? What am I actually after here? If we did, we'd notice the contradictory and inconsistent wishes that we have. And then we'd stop working against ourselves

'Make sure you're not made 'Emperor,' avoid that imperial stain. It can happen to you, so keep yourself simple, good, pure, saintly, plain, a friend of justice, god-fearing, gracious, affectionate, and strong for your proper work. Fight to remain the person that philosophy wished to make you. Revere the gods, and look after each other. Life is short—the fruit of this life is a good character and acts for the common good.' - Marcus Aurelius

When we experience success, we must make sure that it doesn't change us—that we continue to maintain our character despite the temptation not to. Reason must lead the way no matter what good fortune comes along

'Don't let the force of the impression carry you away. Say to it, 'hold up a bit and let me see who you are and where you are from—let me put you to the test'' - Epictetus

One of the wonders of your mind is the quickness with which it can comprehend and categorize things. As Malcolm Gladwell wrote in Blink, we are constantly making split-second decisions based on years of experience, and knowledge as well as using the same skill to confirm prejudices, stereotypes, and assumptions. Clearly, the former thinking is a source of strength, whereas the latter is a great weakness

We lose very little by taking a beat to consider our own thoughts. Is this really so bad? What do I really know about this person? Why do I have such strong feelings here? Is anxiety really adding much to the situation? What's so special about ____?

'Trust, but verify' - Russian proverb

'When you first rise in the morning tell yourself: I will encounter busybodies, ingrates, egomaniacs, liars, the jealous and cranks. They are all stricken with these afflictions because they don't know the difference between good and evil. Because I have understood the beauty of good and the ugliness of evil, I know that these wrong-doers are still akin to me... and that none can do me harm, or implicate me in ugliness—nor can I be angry at my relatives or hate them. For we are made for cooperation.' - Marcus Aurelius

Maybe, because you've prepared for it, you'll be able to act with patience, forgiveness, and understanding

We must fight our biases and preconceptions because they are a liability. Ask yourself: What haven't I considered? Why is this thing the way it is? Am I part. of the problem here or the solution? Could I be wrong here?

We are not as smart and wise as we'd like to think we are. If we ever do want to become wise, it comes from the questioning and from humility—not from certainty, mistrust, and arrogance

'When it comes to money, where we feel our clear interest, we have an entire art where the tester uses many means to discover the worth... just as we give great attention to judging things that might steer us badly. But when it comes to our own ruling principle, we yawn and doze off, accepting any appearance that flashes by without counting the cost.' - Epictetus

'The first and greatest task of the philosopher is to test and separate appearances, and to act on nothing that is untested.' - Epictetus

'From the very beginning, make it your practice to say to every harsh impression, 'you are an impression and not at all what you appear to be.' Next, examine and test it by the rules you possess, the first and greatest of which is this—whether it belongs to the things in our control or not in our control, and if the latter, be prepared to respond, 'It is nothing to me.'' - Epictetus

Part of Stoicism is cultivating the awareness that allows you to step back and analyze your own senses, question their accuracy, and proceed only with the positive and constructive ones

Hold your senses suspect

'It isn't events themselves that disturb people, but only their judgments about them.' - Epictetus

The observing eye sees what is. The perceiving eye sees what things supposedly mean

An event is inanimate. It's objective. It simply is what it is. That's what our observing eye sees

'Throw out your conceited opinions, for it is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.' - Epictetus

We're all guilty of thinking we know it all, and we'd all learn more if we could set that attitude aside

As smart or successful as we may be, there is always someone who is smarter, more successful, and wiser than us

'Every man I meet is my master in some point, and in that I learn of him.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you want to learn, if you want to improve your life, seeking out teachers, philosophers, and great books is a good start. But this approach will only be effective if you're humble and ready to let go of opinions you already have

Not every opportunity is fraught with danger, but we must remember our attraction toward what is new and shiny can lead us into serious trouble

'Don't act grudgingly, selfishly, without due diligence, or to be a contrarian. Don't overdress your thought in fine language. Don't be a person of too many words and too many deeds... Be cheerful, not wanting outside help or the relief others might bring. A person needs to stand on their own, not be propped up.' - Marcus Aurelius

In most areas of life, the saying 'Less is more' stands true

The writers we admire tend to be masters of economy and brevity. What they leave out is just as important—sometimes more important—than what they leave in

'He Would Never Use One Word Where None Would Do' poem by Philip Levine

'More matter with less art.' - Queen Gertrude, Hamlet. Get to the point!

The next time you feel self-indulgent or a little full of yourself, or the next time you feel like impressing people, tell yourself not to be a person of 'too many words and too many deeds.'

'It's better to produce the balance sheet of your own life than that of the grain market.' - Seneca

At the end of your time on this planet, what expertise is going to be more valuable—your understanding of matters of living and dying, or your knowledge of the '87 Bears? Which will help your children more—your insight into happiness and meaning, or that you followed breaking political news every day for thirty years?

'Nothing will ever befall me that I will receive with gloom or a bad disposition. I will pay my taxes gladly. Now, all the things which cause complaint or dread are like the taxes of life—things from which, my dear Lucilius, you should never hope for exemption or seek escape.' - Seneca

Income taxes are not the only taxes you pay in life. They are just the financial form. Everything we do has a toll attached to it. Waiting around is a tax on traveling. Rumors and gossip are the taxes that come from acquiring a pubic persona. And on and on.

There are many forms of taxes in life. You can argue with them, you can go to great lengths to evade them, or you can simply pay them and enjoy the fruits of what you get to keep.

'Do away with the opinion I am harmed, and the harm is cast away too. Do away with being harmed, and harm disappears.' - Marcus Aurelius

The interpretation of a remark or a word has an immense amount of power. It's the difference between a laugh and hurt feelings. The difference between a fight breaking out and two people connecting.

Choose the right inference from someone's actions or from external events, and it's a lot more likely that you'll have the right response

'What is bad luck? Opinion. What are conflict, dispute, blame, accusation, irreverence, and frivolity? They are all opinions, and more than that, they are opinions that lie outside of our own reasoned choice, presented as if they were good or evil. Let a person shift their opinions only to what belongs in the field of their own choice, and I guarantee that person will have peace of mind, whatever is happening around them.' - Epictetus

'Epictetus says we must discover the missing art of assent and pay special attention to the sphere of our impulses—that they are subject to reservation, to the common good, and that they are in proportion to actual worth.' - Marcus Aurelius

In our lives—whether we're experiencing great power or powerlessness—it's critical to leave room for what may happen and keep the common good and the actual worth of things front and center. And, above, all, be willing to learn from anyone and everyone, regardless of their station in life

'Here's a way to think about what the masses regard as being 'good' things. If you would first start by setting your mind upon things that are unquestionably good—wisdom, self-control, justice, courage—with this preconception you'll no longer be able to listen to the popular refrain that there are too many good things to experience in a lifetime.' - Marcus Aurelius

'If only the hearts of the wealthy were opened to all! How great the fears high fortune stirs up within them.' - Seneca

When people acquire the money and status they crave, they discover it wasn't quite what they had hoped. The same is true of so many things we covet without really thinking. They are not the cure-all for unhappiness or problems

Wisdom, self-control, justice, courage. No one who achieves these quiet virtues experiences buyer's remorse

'When you let your attention slide for a bit, don't think you will get back a grip on it whenever you wish—instead, bear in mind that because of today's mistake everything that follows will be necessarily worse... Is it possible to be free from error? Not by any means, but it is possible to be a person always stretching to avoid error. For we must be content to at least escape a few mistakes by never letting our attention slide.' - Epictetus

Attention matters—and in an era in which our attention is being fought for by every new app, website, article, book, tweet, and post, its value has only gone up

Attention is a habit, and letting your attention slip and wander builds bad habits and enables mistakes

You'll never complete all your tasks if you allow yourself to be distracted with every tiny interruption. Your attention is one of your most critical resources. Don't squander it

'These are the characteristics of the rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination, and self-determination. It reaps its own harvest... It succeeds in its own purpose...' - Marcus Aurelius

To be rational today, we have to do just three things:

We must look inward

We must examine ourselves critically

We must make our own decisions—uninhibited by biases or popular notions

'If anyone can prove and show to me that I think and act in error, I will gladly change it—for I seek the truth, by which no one has ever been harmed. The one who is harmed is the one who abides in deceit and ignorance.' - Marcus Aurelius

'I live from one day to the next! If something strikes me as probable, I say it; and that is how, unlike everyone else, I remain a free agent.' - Cicero

No one should be ashamed at changing his mind—that's what the mind is for

We go to such lengths to learn and to expose ourselves to wisdom. It would be embarrassing if we didn't end up finding out if we were wrong in the past

Remember: you're a free agent. When someone points out a legitimate flaw in your belief or in your actions, they're not criticizing you. They're presenting a better alternative. Accept it

'When your sparring partner scratches or head-butts you, you don't then make a show of it, or protest, or view him with suspicion or as plotting against you. And yet you keep an eye on him, not as an enemy or with suspicion,, but with a healthy avoidance. You should act this way with all things in life. We should give a pass to many things with our fellow trainees. For, as I've said, it's possible to avoid without suspicion or hate.' - Marcus Aurelius

By seeing each day and each situation as a kind of training exercise, the stakes suddenly become a lot lower. The way you interpret your own mistakes and the mistakes of others is suddenly a lot more generous. It's certainly a more resilient attitude than going around acting like the stakes of every encounter put the championship on the line

When you catch an elbow or an unfair blow today, shake off the pain and remind yourself: I'm learning. My sparring partner is learning too. This is practice for both of us—that's all. I know a bit more about him or her, and from my reaction, they're going to learn a little bit more about me too

'Tantalus: The highest power is—

Thyestes: No power, if you desire nothing.' - Seneca

Change your wants and you are free

'If you don't take money, they can't tell you want to do.' - Bill Cunningham

Taking money, wanting the money—proverbially or literally—makes you a servant to the people who have it

'Watch the stars in their courses and imagine yourself running alongside them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.' - Marcus Aurelius

'The world itself is a huge temple of all the gods.' - Marcus Aurelius

Looking at the beautiful expanse of the sky is an antidote to the nagging pettiness of earthly concerns. And it is good and sobering to lose yourself in that as often as you can

It is easy to get wrapped up is our own opinions of things. It's as if we're adhering to invisible scripts—following instructions or patters we don't even understand. The more you question these scripts and the more you subject them to the rigorous test of your education, the more you'll be your own compass. You'll have convictions and thoughts that are your own and belong to no one else

If you know what you believe and why you believe it you'll avoid poisonous relationships, toxic jobs, fair-weather friends, and any number of ills that afflict people who haven't thought through their deepest concerns. That's your education. That's why you do this work

Make character your loudest statement

'For philosophy doesn't consist in outward display, but in taking heed to what is needed and being mindful of it.' - Musonius Rufus

'First tell youself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do. For in nearly every pursuit we see this to be the case. Those in athletic pursuit first choose the sport they want, and then do that work.' - Epictetus

An archer is highly unlikely to hit a target she did not aim for. The same goes for you, whatever your target. You are certain to miss the target if you don't bother to draw back and fire

Our perceptions and principles guide us in the selection of what we want—but ultimately our actions determine whether we get there or not

Spend some time—real, uninterrupted time—thinking about what's important to you, what your priorities are. Then, work toward that and forsake all the others.

It's not enough to wish and hope. One must act—and act right

'Those who receive the bare theories immediately want to spew them, as an upset stomach does its food. First digest your theories and you won't throw them up. Otherwise they will be raw, spoiled, and not nourishing. After you've digested them, show us the changes in your reasoned choices, just like the shoulders of gymnasts display their diet and training, and as the craft of artisans show in what they've learned.' - Epictetus

Would I be better saying words or letting my actions and choices illustrate that knowledge for me?

'How much better is it to be known for doing well by many than for living extravagantly? How much more worthy than spending on sticks and stones is to spend on people?' - Musonius Rufus

'The raw material for the work of a good and excellent person is their own guiding reasons, the body is that of the doctor and the physical trainer, and the farm the farmer's.' - Epictetus

Professionals don't have to justify spending time training or practicing their work. It's what they do, and practice is how they get good at it

You mind is the asset that must be worked on most—and understood best

'Then what makes a beautiful human being? Isn't it the presence of human excellence? Young friend, if you wish to be beautiful, then work diligently at human excellence. And what is that? Observe those whom you praise without prejudice. The just or the unjust? The just. The even-tempered or the undisciplined? The even-tempered. The self-controlled or the uncontrolled? The self-controlled. In making yourself that kind of person, you will become beautiful—but to the extent you ignore these qualities you'll be ugly, even if you use every trick in the book to appear beautiful.' - Epictetus

Is it really beautiful to win the genetic lottery? Or should beauty be contingent on the choices, actions, and attributes we develop? An even keel, a sense of justice, a commitment to duty. These are beautiful traits—and they go much deeper than appearances

'God laid down this law, saying: if you want some good, get it from yourself.' - Epictetus

Here is a how to guarantee you have a good day: do good things

Any other source of joy is outside your control or is nonrenewable. It is all you, all the time, and unending. It is the ultimate form of self-reliance

'Where is Good? In our reasoned choices. Where is Evil? In our reasoned choices. Where is that which is neither Good nor Evil? In the things outside of our reasoned choice.' - Epictetus

The right thing to do always comes from our reasoned choice. Not whether something is rewarded. Not whether something will succeed, but whether it is the right choice

Is something good or bad? Is this right or wrong? Ignore everything else. Focus only on your choices

'Let us therefore set out whole-heartedly, leaving aside our many distractions and exert ourselves in the single purpose, before we realize too late the swift and unstoppable flight of time and are left behind. As each day arises, welcome it as the very best day of all, and mike it your own possession. We must seize what flees.' - Seneca

'Let us also produce some bold act of our own—and join the ranks of the most emulated.' - Seneca

Don't just admire quotes and other inspiring words, use them, follow their example

'The greatest portion of peace of mind is doing nothing wrong. Those who lack self-control live disoriented and disturbed lives.' - Seneca

There are immense costs of doing wrong, not only to society, but to the perpetrator

'Kindness is invincible, but only when it's sincere, with no hypocrisy or faking. For what can even the most malicious person do if you keep showing kindness and, if given the chance, you gently point out where they went wrong—right as they are trying to harm you?' - Marcus Aurelius

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

When someone says something pointed or mean today, they expect you to respond in kind—not with kindness. When that doesn't happen, they are embarrassed. It's a shock to their system—it makes them and you better

Most rudeness, meanness, and cruelty are a mask for deep-seated weakness. Kindness in these situations is only possible for people of great strength. You have the strength. Use it

'Every habit and capability is confirmed and grows in its corresponding actions, walking bu walking, and running by running... therefore, if you want to do something make a habit of it, if you don't want to do that, don't, but make a habit of something else instead. The same principle is at work in our state of mind. When you get angry, you've not only experienced that evil, but you've also reinforced a bad habit, adding fuel to the fire.' - Epictetus

'We are what we repeatedly do, therefore, excellence is not an act but a habit' - Aristotle

The person you'd like to be, or the person you see yourself as—how closely do your actions actually correspond to him or her?

'Those obsessed with glory attach their well-being to the regard of others, those who love pleasure tie it to feelings, but the one with true understanding seeks it only in their own actions... Think on the character of the people one wishes to please, the possessions one means to gain, and the tactics one employs to such ends. How quickly time erases such things, and how many has it wiped away already.' - Marcus Aurelius

If your happiness is dependent on accomplishing certain goals, what happens if fate intervenes? What if you're snubbed? If outside events interrupt? What if you do achieve everything but find that nobody is impressed? That's the problem with letting your happiness be determined by things you can't control. It's an insane risk.

If an actor focuses on the public reception to a project—whether critics like it or whether it's a hit, they will be constantly disappointed and hurt

If you love your performance—any put everything into making it the best you're capable of—you will always find satisfaction in your job. Take pleasure from your actions—in taking the right actions—rather than the results that come from them

Our ambition should not be to win, but to play with our full effort. Our intention is not to be thanked or recognized, but to help and to do what we think is right. Our focus is not on what happens to us but on how we respond. In this, we will always find contentment and resilience

'If you don't wish to be a hot-head, don't feed your habit. Try as a first step to remain calm and count the days you haven't been angry. I used to be angry every day, now every other day, then every third or fourth... if you make it as far as 30 days, thank God! For habit is first weakened and then obliterated. When you can say 'I didn't lose my temper today, or the next day, or for three or four months, but kept my cool under provocation,' you will know you are in better health.' - Epictetus

Build a chain and then work not to break it. Don't ruin your streak

'Show me someone sick and happy, in danger and happy, dying and happy, exiled and happy, disgraced and happy. Show me! By God, how much I'd like to see a Stoic. But since you can't show me someone that perfectly formed, at least show me someone actively forming themselves so, inclined in this way... Show me!' - Epictetus, Discourses

Instead of seeing philosophy as an end to which one aspires, see it as something one applies. Not occasionally, but over the course of a life—making incremental progress along the wy. Sustained execution, not shapeless epiphanies

Be reminded of the constant work and serious training needed every day if we are ever to approach that perfect form

On our journey to self-improvement, one never arrives

The sage—the perfect Stoic who behaves perfectly in every situation—is an ideal, not an end

'Pay attention to what's in front of you—the principle, the task, or what's being portrayed.' - Marcus Aurelius

It's fun to think about the future. It's easy to ruminate on the past. It's harder to put that energy into what's in front of us right at this moment—especially if it's something we don't want to do

'How you do anything is how you do everything'

How you handle today is how you'll handle every day. How you handle this minute is how you'll handle every minute

Most of us have to do something several times in order to truly learn

An athlete at the highest level will train for years to perform movements that can last mere seconds—or less

Simply knowing isn't enough. It must be absorbed into the muscles and the body. It must become part of us. Or we risk losing it the second that we experience stress or difficulty

Show up and practice even when others probably think it is unnecessary

'But what is philosophy? Doesn't it simply mean preparing ourselves for what may come? Don't you understand that really amounts to saying that if I would so prepare myself to endure, then let anything happen that will? ... What advantage will come from abandoning the pursuit of wisdom? So, what should each of us say to every trial we face? This is what I've trained for, for this my discipline!' - Epictetus

We almost always know what the right things is. The tougher part is deciding to do it in a given moment

Today, not tomorrow, is the day that we can start to be good

'Show me that the good life doesn't consist in its length, but in its use, and that it is possible—no, entirely too common—for a person who has had a long life to have lived too little.' - Seneca

Show yourself. No matter how many years you're ultimately given, your life can be clearly and earnestly said to have been a long and full one

We all know someone like that—someone we lost too early but even now think, If I could do half of what they did, I'll consider my life well lived

The best way to get there is by focusing on what is here right now, on the task you have at hand—big or small

'The fortunate person is the one who gives themselves a good fortune. And good fortunes are a well-tuned soul, good impulses and good actions.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Diligence is the mother of good luck'

'I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have.' - Coleman Cox

Prepare yourself to get lucky by focusing on doing the right thing at the right time—and ironically, render luck mostly unnecessary in the process

'Joy for human beings lies in proper human work. And proper human work consists in: acts of kindness to other human beings, disdain for the stirrings of the senses, identifying trustworthy impressions, and contemplating the natural order and all that happens in keeping with it.' - Marcus Aurelius

'I'm constantly amazed by how easily we love ourselves above all others, yet we put more stock in the opinions of others than in our own estimation of self... How much credence we give to the opinions our peers have of us and how little to our very own!' - Marcus Aurelius

We have no control over what other people think

Putting ourselves at the mercy of their opinions and trying to gain the approval of others is a dangerous endeavor

Don't spend time thinking about what other people think. Think about what you think. Think instead about the results, about the impact, about whether it is the right thing to do

'Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing.' - Zeno

The little things add up

Someone is a good person not because they say they are, but because they take good actions

One does not magically get one's act together—it is a matter of many individual choices. It's a matter of getting up at the right time, making your bed, resisting shortcuts, investing in yourself, doing your work

While the individual action is small, its cumulative impact is not

Choose the right way over the easy way, and watch as all these little things add up toward transformation

'The first thing to do—don't get worked up. For everything happens according to the nature of all things, and in a short time you'll be nobody and nowhere. The next thing to do—consider carefully the task at hand for what it is, while remembering that your purpose is to be a good human being. Get straight to doing what nature requires of you, and speak as you see most just and fitting—with kindness, modesty, and sincerity.' - Marcus Aurelius

First, don't get upset—because that will color your decision negatively and make it harder than it needs to be

Second, remember the purpose and principles you value most. Running potential actions through this filter will eliminate the bad choices and highlight the right one

Don't get upset. Do the right thing. That's it

“Work nourishes noble minds.” - Seneca

“I can’t call a person a hard worker just because I hear they read and write, even if working at it all night. Until I know what a person is working for, I can’t seem them industrious... I can if the end they work for is their own ruling principle, having it be and remain in constant harmony with Nature.” - Epictetus

Evaluate what you are doing, why you are doing it, and where accomplishing it will take you. If you don’t have a good answer, then stop

'What is your vocation? To be a good person.' - Marcus Aurelius

Our job on this earth is to be a good human being. It is a basic duty, yet we are experts at coming up with excuses for avoiding it

Murphy's Law: 'If anything can go wrong, it will.'

'In outer space you develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of he neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, 'Look at that, you son of a bitch.'' - Edgar Mitchell

Many a problem can be solved with the perspective of a bird's eye view. Use it

If we can't do this, then perhaps we can try that. And if we can't do that, then perhaps we can try some other thing. And if that thing is impossible, there is always another. Even if that final thing is just being a good human being—we always have some opportunity to practice our philosophy, to make some contribution

You come from a long, unbroken line of ancestors who survived unimaginable adversity, difficulty, and struggle. You're capable of what they are capable of

'Think of those who, not by fault of inconsistency but by lack of effort, are too unstable to live as they wish, but only live as they have begun.' - Seneca

Just because you've begun down one path doesn't mean you're committed to it forever, especially if that path turns out to be flawed or impeded

It takes courage to decide to do things differently and to make a change, as well as discipline and awareness to know that the notion of 'Oh, but this looks even better' is a temptation that cannot be endlessly indulged either

'We like to say that we don't get to choose our parents, that they were given by chance—yet we can truly choose whose children we'd like to be.' - Seneca

We not only owe it to ourselves to seek out hard-won knowledge in books and journals, we owe it to the people who took the time to record their experiences to try to carry on the traditions and follow their examples—to be promising children to these noble parents

'You must build up your life action by action, and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible—and no one can keep you from this. But there will be some external obstacle! Perhaps, but no obstacle to acting with justice, self-control, and wisdom. But what if some other area of my action is thwarted? Well. gladly accept the obstacle for what it is and shift your attention to what is given, and another action will immediately take its place, one that better fits the life you are building.' - Marcus Aurelius

Nick Saban taught his placers 'The Process', to ignore the big picture and focus instead on doing the absolutely smallest things well

If you follow The Process in your life—assembling the right actions in the right order, one right after another—you too will do well. Not only that, you will be better equipped to make quick work of the obstacles along that path. You'll be too busy putting one foot in front of the next to even notice the obstacles were there

'If you find something very difficult to achieve yourself, don't image it impossible—for anything possible and proper for another person can be achieved as easily by you.' - Marcus Aurelius

There is plenty to go around

'How much more harmful are the consequences of anger and grief than the circumstances that aroused them in us!' - Marcus Aurelius

'If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging'

Most of us make things worse when things go wrong. We get angry or feel aggrieved and flail around before we have much in the way of a plan

Your task: just don't make things worse

Don't add angry or negative emotions to the equation

Don't react for the sake of reacting. Leave it as it is. Stop digging. Then plan your way out

Have the confidence to adapt and change with the circumstances

Instead of looking for instruction, cultivate skills like creativity, independence, self-confidence, ingenuity, and the ability to problem solve

Be resilient instead of rigid

Attributes that win wars: discipline, fortitude, courage, clearheadedness, selflessness, sacrifice

Attributes that lose wars: cowardice, rashness, disorganization, overconfidence, weakness, selfishness

'The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is so we might listen more and talk less.' - Diogenes

'The best treasure is a sparing tongue.' - Hesiod

Law of power: always say less than necessary

We talk because we think it is helping, whereas in reality it's making things hard for us. We want to tell people what they should do, but in fact, all they actually want us to do is hear them

The world is trying to give us feedback or input, but we try to talk ourselves out of the problem

Will you hear the wisdom of the world or drown it out with more noise?

You are loved. You can ask anyone for help. You don't have to face everything on your own

If you need help, just ask

Philosophy helps us tame the mad frenzy of our greed and tamps down the fury of our fears

'Let fate find us prepared and active. Here is the great soul—the one who surrenders to fate. The opposite is the weak and degenerate one, who struggles with and has a poor regard for the order of the world, and seeks to correct the faults of the gods rather than their own.' - Seneca

Whatever happens today, let it find us prepared and active: ready for problems, ready for difficulties, ready for people to behave in disappointing or confusing ways, ready to accept and make it work for us

'Don't let your reflection on the whole sweep of life crush you. Don't fill your mind with all the bad things that might still happen. Stay focused on the present situation and ask yourself why it's so unbearable and can't be survived.' - Marcus Aurelius

By focusing exclusively on the present, we're able to avoid or remove those intimidating or negative thoughts from our frame of view

Calm is contagious. Especially when that calm is coming fro the man or woman in charge

It's the leaders job to do one thing: instill calm—not by force but by example

That's who you want to be, whatever your line of work: the casual, relaxed person in every situation who tells everyone else to take a beathe and not to worry. Because you've got this

Don't be the agitator, the paranoid, the worrier, or the irrational

Be the calm, not the liability. It will catch on

'It's only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.' - Nietzsche

When you get stressed or overwhelmed, take a walk

Failure is a part of life we have little choice over. Learning from failure, on the other hand, is optional. We have to choose to learn. We must consciously opt to do things differently—to tweak and change until we actually get the result we're after

Sticking with the same unsuccessful pattern is easy. It doesn't take any thought or any additional effort, which is probably why most people do it

People want freedom, they want happiness, and they want the respect of their peers

Freedom? That's easy. It's in your choices. Happiness? That's easy. It's in your choices. Respect of your peers? That too is in the choices you make. And all of that is right in front of you. No need to take the long way to get there

'You could enjoy this very moment all the things you are praying to reach by taking the long way around—if you'd stop depriving yourself of them.' - Marcus Aurelius

'The beautiful and good person neither fights with anyone nor, as much as they are able, permits others to fight... this is the meaning of getting an education—learning what is your own affair and what is not. If a person carries themselves so, where is there any room for fighting?' - Epictetus

Is there any reason to fight about this? Is arguing going to help solve anything?

Think of what you could accomplish—and how much better you would feel—if you could conquer the need to fight and win every tiny little thing

The wise seem to manage expectations as much as possible. They rarely expect what isn't possible in the first place

The wise consider both the best and worst case scenarios

Hold yourself to a higher standard but not an impossible one. And forgive yourself if and when you slip up

'While it's true that someone can impede our actions, they can't impede our intentions and our attitudes, which have the powder of being conditional and adaptable. For the mind adapts and converts any obstacle to its action into a means of achieving it. That which is an impediment to action is turned to advance action. The obstacle on the path becomes the way.' - Marcus Aurelius

Every impediment can advance action in some form or another

'Never think the proper dispatch of your duty, no matter if you are freezing or hot, groggy or well-reseted, vilified or praised, not even if dying or pressed by other demands. Even dying is one of the important assignments of life and, in this as in all else, make the most of your resources to do well the duty at hand.' - Marcus Aurelius

Morality can be complicated—but the right thing is usually clear and intuitive enough to feel it in our gut. Our duty is rarely easy, but it is important. It's also usually the harder choice. But we must do it

'The task of a philosopher: we should bring our will into harmony with whatever happens, so that nothing happens against our will and nothing that we wish for fails to happen.' - Epictetus

A long To-Do list seems intimidating and burdensome—all these things we have to do in the course of a day or a week. But a Get To Do list sounds like a privilege—all the things we're excited about the opportunity to experience

See yourself as fortunate to receive and respond to the will in the world

'Protect your own good in all that you do, and as concerns everything else take what is given as far as you can make reasoned use of it.' - Epictetus

As long as your flame flickers, there will be some light in the world

'Good people will do what they find honorable to do, even if it requires hard work; they'll do it even if it causes them injury; they'll do it even if it will bring danger. Nothing will deter them from what is honorable, and nothing will lure them into what is base.' - Seneca

If doing good was easy, everyone would do it. And if doing bad wasn't tempting or attractive, nobody would do it

'On those mornings you struggle with getting up, keep this thought in mind—I am awakening to the work of a human being. Why then am I annoyed that I am going to do what I'm made for, the very things for which I was put into this world?' - Marcus Aurelius

We cannot be of service to ourselves, to other people, or to the world unless we get up and get working—the earlier the better

We're not trying to ace tests or impress teachers. We are reading and studying to live, to be good human beings—always and forever

'Enough of this miserable, whining life. Stop monkeying around! Why are you troubled? What's new here? What's so confounding? The one responsible? Take a good look. Or just the matter itself? Then look at that. There's nothing else to look at. And as far as the gods go, by now you could try being more straightforward and kind. It's the same, whether you've examined these things for a hundred years, or only three.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Character, the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life—is the source from which self-respect springs.' - Joan Didion

We have to quit monkeying around and be the owners of our own lives

Right now. Taking responsibility is the first step

Whatever humble art you practice: Are you sure you're making time for it? Are you loving what you do enough to make the time? Can you trust that if you put in the effort, the rest will take care of itself? Because it will. Love the craft, be a craftsman

'In your actions, don't procrastinate. In your conversations, don't confuse. In your thoughts, don't wander. In your soul, don't be passive or aggressive. In your life, don't be all about business.' - Marcus Aurelius

'One person, on doing well by others, immediately accounts the expected favor in return. Another is not so quick, but still considers the person a debtor and knows the favor. A third kind of person acts as if not conscious of the deed, rather like a vine producing a cluster of grapes without making further demands, like a horse after its race, or a dog after its walk, or a bee after making its honey. Such a person, having done a good deed, won't go shouting from rooftops but simply moves on to the next deed just like the vine produces another bunch of grapes in the right season.' - Marcus Aurelius

Don't get carried away. Take it slow. Train with humility

Why on earth do you need thanks or recognition for having done the right thing? It's your job

'As you move forward along the path of reason, people will stand in your way. They will never bed able to keep you from doing what's sound, so don't let them knock out your goodwill for them. Keep a steady watch on both fronts, not only for well-based judgments and actions, but also for gentleness with those who would obstruct our path or create other difficulties. For getting angry is also a weakness, just as much as abandoning the task or surrendering under panic. For doing either is an equal desertion—the one by shrinking back and the other by estrangement from family and friend.' - Marcus Aurelius

Be open-minded and accepting enough to let other people live their own way

Can you understand that their life is their business and yours is your own?

You've got plenty to wrestle with yourself without bothering anyone else

'Whenever you have trouble getting up in the morning, remind yourself that you've been made by nature for the purpose of working with others, whereas even unthinking animals share sleeping. And it's our own natural purpose that is more fitting and more satisfying.' - Marcus Aurelius

We are made for cooperation with each other

People are depending on you. Your purpose is to help us render this great work together. And we're waiting and excited for you to show up

'Nothing is noble if it's done unwillingly or under compulsion. Every noble deed is voluntary.' - Seneca

You don't have to do the right thing, just as you don't have to do your duty. You get to. You want to

Do not take the slights of the day personally—or the exciting rewards and recognitions either, especially when duty has assigned you an important cause

Trivial details like the rise and fall of your position say nothing about. youas a person. Only your behavior will

It can be so easy to get distracted by, even consumed by, horrible news from all over the world. The proper response of the Stoic to these events is not to not care, but mindless, meaningless sympathy does very little either (and comes at the cost of one's own serenity, in most cases). If there is something you can actually do to help these suffering people, then, yes, the disturbing news (and your reaction to it) has relevance to your reasoned choice. If emoting is the end of your participation, then you ought to get back to your own individual duty—to yourself, to your family, to your country

Workaholics always make excuses for their selfishness

You are a human being, not a human doing

'Work is what horses die of. Everybody should know that.' - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

'Often injustice lies in what you aren't doing, not only in what you are doing.' - Marcus Aurelius

All evil needs to prevail is for good men to do nothing

It's not enough to just not do evil. You must also be a force for good in the world, as best you can

'Indeed, if you find anything in human life better than justrice, truth, self-control, courage—in short, anything better than the sufficiency of your own mind, which keeps you acting according to the demands of true reason and accepting what fate gives you outside of your own power of choice—I tell you, if you can see anything better than this, turn to it heart and soul and take full advantage of this greater good you've found.' - Marcus Aurelius

Virtue—made up as it is of justice, honesty, discipline, and courage—is the only thing worth striving for

You may have had a head start over some people. That's why it is our duty to understand and be patient with others

The more forgiving and tolerant you can be of others—the more you can be aware of your various privileges and advantages—the more helpful and patient you will be

Joy is a deep state of being. It is what we feel inside us and has little to do with smiles or laughing. It comes from purpose, excellence, and duty

Who cars if someone is bubbly when times are good?

Can be fully content with your 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?

'That cucumber is bitter, so toss it out! There are thorns on the path, then keep away! Enough said. Why ponder the existence of nuisance? Such thinking would make you a laughing-stock to the true student of Nature, just as carpenter or cobbler would laugh if you pointed out the sawdust and chips on the floors of their shops. Yet while those shopkeepers have dustbins for disposal, Nature has no need for them.' - Marcus Aurelius

'He alone can do good who knows what things are like and what their situation is.' - Josef Pieper

Today, we won't let our honest understanding of the world stop us from trying to make the best of it. Nor will we let petty annoyances and minor obstacles get in the way of the important job we have to do

We should become pragmatic and adaptable—able to do what we need to do anywhere, anytime. The place to do your work, to live the good life, is here

'You must stop blaming God, and not blame any person. You must completely control your desire and shift your avoidance to what lies within your reasoned choice. You must no longer feel anger, resentment, envy, or regret.' - Epictetus

Nelson Mandela held his head higher than other prisoners, encouraged them when times got tough, and always retained his sense of self-assurance

No matter what happens today, no matter where you find yourself, shift to what lies within your reasoned choices. Ignore, as best you can, the emotions that pop up, which would be so easy to disturb yourself with. Don't get emotional—get focused

'The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.' - Robert Greene

The more you say, the more likely you are to blow past opportunities, ignore feedback, and cause yourself suffering

The inexperienced and fearful talk to reassure themselves.

Silence is a way to build strength and self-sufficiency

If it's humanly possible, you can do it

'Do now what nature demands of you. Get right to it if that's in your power. Don't look around to see if people will know about it. Don't await the perfection of Plato's Republic, but be satisfied with even the smallest step forward and regard the outcome as a small thing.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Start from where the word is, as it is, not as you would like it to be. Accepting the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be—it is necessary to begin where the world is if we are going to change it to what we think it should be.' - Saul Alinsky

There is plenty that you could do right now, today, that would make the world a better place. There are plenty of small steps that, were you to take them, would help move things forward. Don't excuse yourself from doing them because the conditions aren't right or because a better opportunity might come along soon. Do what you can, now

Stop courageously, at the surface and see things in plain, objective form. Don't tell yourself anything more than what the initial impressions report

We're never going to be perfect. We're human, after all. Our pursuits should be aimed at progress, however little that it's possible for us to make

We're dealing with the real world here. What matters is how you're going to deal with this situation right in front of you and whether you're going to be able to move past it and onto the next one. That's not saying that anything goes—but we can't forget that although the theories are clean and simple, situations rarely are

What one says matters less than what one does

Speak your philosophies with your actions more than anything else

'Philosophy is not concerned with words, but with facts. It's not employed for some pleasure before the day is spent, or to relieve the uneasiness of our leisure. It shapes and builds up the soul, it gives order to life, guides action, shows what should and shouldn't be done.' - Seneca

'Virtue is the only good; there is no certain good without virtue; and virtue resides in our nobler part, which is the rational one. And what can this virtue be? True and steadfast judgment. For from this will arise every mental impulse, and by it every appearance that spurs our impulses will be rendered clear.' - Seneca

Consistency. Be honest not only when it is convenient

You become the sum of our actions, and as you do, what flows from that—your impulses—reflect the actions you've taken. Choose wisely

'Just as nature turns to its own purpose any obstacle or any opposition, sets its place in the destined order, and co-opts it, so every rational person can convert any obstacle into the raw material for their own purpose.' - Marcus Aurelius

What things do you think have been holding you back that, in fact, can be a hidden source of strength?

'For nothing outside my reasoned choice can hinder or harm it—my reasoned choice alone can do this to itself. If we would lean this way whenever we fail, and would blame only ourselves and remember that nothing but opinion is the cause of a troubled mind and uneasiness, then by God, I swear we would be making progress.' - Epictetus

Today, see if you can go without blaming a single person or single thing

'A good person is invincible, for they don't rush into contests in which they aren't the strongest. If you want their property, take it—take also their staff, profession, and body. But you will never compel what they set out for, nor trap them in what they would avoid. For the only contest the good person enters is that of their own reasoned choice. How can such a person not be invincible?' - Epictetus

Be reasonable. Think hard before choosing, and make yourself unbeatable

'Since the vast majority of our words and actions are unnecessary, corralling them will create an abundance of leisure and tranquility. As a result, we shouldn't forget at each moment to ask, is this one of the unnecessary things? But we must corral not only necessary actions but unnecessary thoughts, too, so needless acts don't tag along after them.' - Marcus Aurelius

Ruthlessly expunge the inessential from our lives. What vanity obligates us to do, what greed signs us up for, what ill discipline adds to our plate, what a lack of courage prevents us from saying no to. All of this we must cut, cut, cut

'Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward dress should blend in with the crowd.' - Seneca

The inward change is a change only we know about

'It's ruinous for the soul to be anxious about the future and miserable in advance of misery, engulfed by anxiety that the things it desires might remain its own until the very end. For such a soul it will never be at rest—by longing for things to come it will lose the ability to enjoy present things.' - Seneca

The pragmatist, the person of action, is too busy to waste time worrying about things that may happen. Best case scenario—if the news turns out to be better than expected, all this time was wasted with needless fear. Worst case scenario—we were miserable for extra time, by choice

What better use can you make of time worrying? A day that could be your last—you want to spend it in worry? In what other area could you make some progress while others might be sitting on the edges of their seat, passively awaiting some fate?

Let the news come when it does. Be too busy working to care

'It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, for then you won't tire and give up, if you aren't busying yourself with lesser things beyond what should be allowed.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Explain why a wise person shouldn't get drunk—not with words, but by the facts of its ugliness and offensiveness. It's most easy to prove that so-called pleasures, when they go beyond proper measure, are but punishments.' - Seneca

Endless pleasure becomes its own form of punishment

It's not that this or that is bad, it's that it is in their best interest to do it a different way. And show them—don't moralize

Who cares where wisdom comes from? What matters is whether it makes your life better, whether it makes you better

'Won't you be walking in your predecessors' footsteps? I surely will use the older path, but if I find a shorter and smoother way, I'll blaze a trail there. The ones who pioneered these paths aren't our masters, but our guides. Truth stands open to everyone, it hasn't been monopolized.' - Seneca

'How much of what we have is unnecessary, and how easily we can decide to rid ourselves of these things whenever it's necessary, never suffering the loss.' - Seneca

Even the most unfortunate events can turn out to be for the best

'We should take a lighter view of things and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is the more human to laugh at life than to lament it.' - Seneca

There is more humor than hate to be found in just about every situation. And at least humor is productive—making things less heavy, not more so

'The founder of the universe, who assigned to us the laws of life, provided that we should live well, but not in luxury. Everything needed for our well-being is right before us, whereas what luxury requires is gathered by many miseries and anxieties. Let us use this gift of nature and count it among the greatest things.' - Seneca

We can still live well without becoming slaves to luxury. And we don't need to make decisions that force us to continue to work and work and work and drift further from study and contemplation in order to get more money to pay for the things we don't need

There is no rule that says financial success must mean that you live beyond your means

Remember: humans can be happy with very little

'No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don't have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.' - Seneca

'A man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income. If he feels rich on $10 and has everything he desires, he really is rich.' - John D. Rockefeller

Today, you could try to increase your wealth, or you could take a shortcut and just want less

'Anything that must yet be done, virtue can do with courage and promptness. For anyone would call it a sign of foolishness for one to undertake a task with a lazy and begrudging spirit, or to push the body in one direction and the mind in another, to be torn apart by wildly divergent impulses.' - Seneca

'Quality is much better than quantity... one home run is much better than two doubles.' - Steve Jobs

“Whenever you take offense at someone’s wrongdoing, immediately turn to your own similar failings, such as seeing money as good, or pleasure, or a little fame—whatever form it takes. By thinking on this, you’ll quickly forget your anger, considering also what compels them—for what else could they do? Or, if you are able, remove their compulsion.” - Marcus Aurelius

We can’t go this life thing halfheartedly. There’s no time off. There aren’t even weekends. We are always preparing for what life may throw at us—abs when it does, we’re ready and don’t stop until we’ve handled it

'What does not kill me makes me stronger.' - Nietzsche

'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

'If you deem as your own only what is yours, and what belongs to others as truly not yours, then no one will ever be able to coerce or to stop you, you will find o one too blame or accuse, you will do nothing against your will, you will have no enemy, no one will harm you, because no harm can affect you.' - Epictetus

Someone can throw you in chains, but they don't have the power to change who you are. Even under the worst torture and cruelties that humans can inflict on one another, our power over your own mind and our power to make our own decisions can't be broken—only relinquished

'Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice, which oversees all other things, and is free from any other master.' - Epictetus

'No one is crushed by Fortune, unless they are first deceived by her... those who aren't pompous in good times, don't have their bubbles burst with change. Against either circumstance, the stable person keeps their rational soul invincible, for it's precisely in the good times they prove their strength against adversity.' - Seneca

'There is no reason to live and no limit to our miseries if we let our fears predominate.' - Seneca

A tough situation isn't helped by terror—it only makes things harder

People tend to get ahead of themselves, thinking they've got it all figured out and are better than those that don't. It becomes so unpleasant to put up with that someone has to drop some knowledge of them

Overconfidence is a great weakness and liability. But if you are already humble, no one will need to humble you. If you stay down to earth, no one will need to bring you back down

'Try praying differently, and see what happens: Instead of asking for 'a way to sleep with her,' try asking for 'a way to stop desiring to sleep with her.' Instead of 'a way to get rid of him,' try asking for 'a way to not crave his demise.' Instead of 'a way to not lose my child,' try asking for 'a way to lose my fear of it.'' - Marcus Aurelius

When we're privately yearning for something, it is so revealing how nakedly selfish our requests usually are

Ask for fortitude and strength so you can do what you need to do

'What if someone despises me? Let them see to it. But I will see to it that I won't be found doing or saying anything contemptible. What if someone hates me? Let them see to that. But Ii will see to it that I'm kind and good-natured to all, and prepared to show even the hater where they went wrong. Not in a critical way, or to show off my patience, but genuinely and usefully.' - Marcus Aurelius

When someone has a strong opinion about something, it usually says more about them than whatever or whomever the opinion happens to be about

Our job is tough enough already. We don't have time to think about what other people are thinking, even if it's about us

'Whenever you suffer pain, keep in mind that it's nothing to be ashamed of and that it can't degrade your guiding intelligence, nor keep it from acting rationally or for the common good. And in most cases you should be helped by the saying of Epicurus, that pain is never unbearable or unending, so you can remember these limits and not add to them in your imagination. Remember too that many common annoyances are pain in disguise, such as sleepiness, fever and loss of appetite. When they start to get you down, tell yourself you are giving in to pain.' - Marcus Aurelius

'Nature is merciful and does not try her children, man or beast, beyond their compass. It is only where the cruelty of man intervenes that hellish torments appear. For the rest—live dangerously; take things as they come; dread naught, all will be well.' - Winston Churchill

Nothing is unending. You just need to be strong and gracious enough to get through it

'Remember that to change your mind and to follow someone's correction are consistent with a free will. For the action is yours alone—to fulfill its purpose in keeping with your impulse and judgment, and yes, with your intelligence.' - Marcus Aurelius

Conditions change. New facts come in. Circumstances arise. If you can't adapt to them—if you simply proceed onward, unable to adjust according to this additional information—you are no better than a robot

Flexibility combined with strength is what will make us resilient and unstoppable

'When forced, as it seems, by circumstances into utter confusion, get a hold of yourself quickly. Don't be locked out of the rhythm any longer than necessary. You'll be able to keep the beat if you are constantly returning to it.' - Marcus Aurelius

The order and the peace might be interrupted by a new circumstance. OK. Get a hold of yourself and find your way back

'Remember that your ruling reason becomes unconquerable when it rallies and relies on itself, so that it won't do anything contrary to its own will, even if its position is irrational. How much more unconquerable if its judgments are careful and made rationally? Therefore, the mind freed from passions is an impenetrable fortress—a person has no more secure place of refuge for all time.' - Marcus Aurelius

Proper training can change your default habits. Train yourself on any habit, and you'll bbe able to unconsciously go to that habit in trying times

We must prepare in our minds for the possibility of extreme reversals of fate

'Leisure without study is death—a tomb for the living person.' - Seneca

The purpose of retirement is not to live a life of indolence or to run out the clock, as easy as that might be to do. Rather, it's to allow for the pursuit of your real calling now that a big distraction is out of the way

'For even peace itself will supply more reason for worry. Not even safe circumstances will bring you confidence once your mind has been shocked—once it gets in the habit of blind panic, it can't provide for its own safety. For it doesn't really avoid danger, it just runs away. Yet we are exposed to greater danger with our backs turned.' - Seneca

If you were to hope for one thing, you could hope for the strength of character that's able to thrive in good fortune. Or better, work for that kind of character and confidence. Consider every action and every thought—think of them as building blocks of your indestructible character. Then work to make each one strong and significant in its own right

While you don't control external events, you retain the ability to decide how you respond to those events. You control what every external event means to you personallyEve

“Nothing can satisfy greed, but even a small measure satisfies nature.” - Seneca

Remember today that you’d be OK if things suddenly went wrong. Your actual needs are small. There is very little that could happen that would truly threaten your survival. Think about that—and adjust your worries and fears accordingly

No matter what's happening to your body, no matter what the outside world inflicts on you, your mind can remain philosophical. It's still yours. It's untouchable—and in a way, then, so are you

Even inside the same company, people selfishly forget they're working together

Today, take a moment to remember that we are woven together and tahat each of us plays a role (good, bad, or ugly) in this world

'That which isn't good for the hive, isn't good for the bee.' - Marcus Aurelius

Be a citizen of the world, not just your country or state

You can always get up after you fall, but remember, what has been said can never be unsaid.

Empathy and selflessness are a matter of practice

'The person who does wring, does wrong to themselves. The unjust person is unjust to themselves—making themselves evil.' - Marcus Aurelius

Self-awareness and wrongdoing rarely go together

Wisdom, good character, sobriety, and kindness last must longer than pleasure

We go through our days responding and reacting, but it's rare to really pause and ask: is this thing I'm about to do consistent with what I believe? Or better: is this the kind of thing the person I would like to be should do?

The work of living is to set standards and then not compromise them

I will do good in this particular instance, right now

'Leave the past behind, let the grand design take care of the future, and instead only rightly guide the present to reverence and justice. Reverence so that you'll love what you've been allotted, for nature brought you both to each other. Justice so that you'll speak the truth freely and without evasion, and so that you'll act only as the law and value of things require.' - Marcus Aurelius

'If anyone would take two words to heart and take pains to govern and watch over themselves by them, they will live an impeccable and immensely tranquil life. The two words are: persist and resist.' - Aulus Gellius

'I can teach you a love potion made without any drugs, herbs, or special spell—if you would be loved, love.' - Hecato

'In the send, the love you take is equal to the love you make.' - The Beatles

'The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that.' - Marcus Aurelius

Let's try to be the example we'd like others to follow

Living morally and well is quite nice

We'd rather be pissed off, bitter, raging inside than risk an awkward conversation that might actually help this person and make the world a better place

A virtuous person does not jump to hasty judgments about other people. A virtuous person is generous with assumptions: that something was an accident, that someone didn't know, that it won't happen again

You can share your wisdom or insight with a friend or stranger—remembering that behavior is always a better example than a lecture

If you see someone who is in need of help, or has asked for guidance, provide it. You owe them that much

'Nature bids us to do well by all. Wherever there is a human being, we have an opportunity for kindness.' - Seneca

You can seek to understand who they are, what they need, and what forces or impulses might be acting on them. And you can treat them well and be better off for it

Focus on what you can control: the ability to choose to respond with kindness

When a bad habit reveals itself, counteract it with a commitment to a contrary virtue

If you find yourself saying something negative or nasty, don't kick yourself. Add something positive and nice to qualify the remark

Good habits have the power to drive out bad habits. And habits are easy to pick up—as we all know

'There is no good for a human being except what creates justice, self-control, courage and freedom, and nothing evil except what destroys theses things.' - Marcus Aurelius

No amount of travel or reading or clever sages can tell you what you want to know. Instead, it is you who must find the answer in your actions, in living the good life—by embodying the self-evident principles of justice, self-control, courage, freedom, and abstaining from evil

No one gets to enjoy their own legacy—by definition

Instead of wasting even a second considering the opinions of future people, focus every bit of yourself on being the best person you can be in the present moment. On doing the right thing, right now. The distant future is irrelevant. Be good and noble and impressive now—while it still matters

Self-improvement is a noble pursuit. Most people don't even bother. But among those who do, it's possible for vanity and superficiality to corrupt this process. Do you want six-pack abs because you are challenging yourself and committing to a difficult goal? Or is it because you want to impress people with your shirt off?

You have the choice to be truthful. You have the choice to be dignified. You can choose to endure. You can choose to be happy. You can choose to be chaste. You can choose to be thrifty. You can choose to be kind to others. You can choose to be free. You can persist under difficult odds. You can avoid trafficking in gossip. You can choose to be gracious

'Dig deep within yourself, for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging.' - Marcus Aurelius

Goodness isn't something that's going to be delivered by mail. You have to dig it up inside your own soul. You find it within your own thoughts, and you make it with your own actions.

You have essential tasks in life: to be a good person and to pursue the occupation that you love. Everything else is a waste of energy and a squandering of your potential

Say no to distractions, to destructive emotions, to outside pressure

What is it that only I can do? What is the best use of my limited time on this planet?

Try to do the right thing when the situation calls for it. Treat other people the way you would hope to be treated. And understand that every small choice and tiny matter is an opportunity to practice these larger principles

We are social animals. We need each other. We must be there for each other. We must take care of each other

'Character is fate.' - Heralitus

'The human being is born with an inclination toward virtue.' - Musonius Rufus

The notion of original sin has weighed down humankind for centuries. In reality, we're made to help each other and be good to each other. We wouldn't have survived as a species otherwise.

'All of us have been made by nature so that we can live free from error and nobly—not that one can and another can't, but all.' - Musonius Rufus

Philosophy is a tool to strip away all of the wrong things and wrong ideas—to get back to our true nature

'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

Rather than accepting what happens, actually enjoy and be grateful for what happens. Love everything that happens

To actually feel gratitude for what happens? To love it? That's a recipe for happiness and joy

'But I haven't at any time been hindered in my will, nor forced against it. And how is this possible? I have bound up my choice to act with the will of God. God wills that I be sick, such is my will. He wills that I should choose something, so do I. He wills that I reach for something, or something be given to me—I wish for the same. What God doesn't will, I do not wish for.' - Epictetus

No matter how much preparation, no matter how skilled or smart we are, the ultimate outcome is in the lap of the gods. The sooner we know that, the better we will be

Events are objective. It's only our opinion that says something is good or bad

Attune to the universe and discard the toxic idea that we're at the center of it

As soon as you can attune your spirit to the idea that you aren't the director of the universe, the easier and happier life will be, because you will have given up the most potent addiction of all: control

No amount of prosperity, no amount of difficulty, is certain forever

'Don't trust in your reputation, money, or position, but in the strength that is yours—namely, your judgements about things that you control and don't control. For this alone is what makes us free and unfettered, that picks us up by the neck from the depths and lifts us eye to eye with the rich and powerful.' - Epictetus

Focus inward on acquiring power rather than outward

Whatever happens to us today or over the course of our lives, wherever we fall on the intellectual, social, or physical spectra, our job is not to complain or bemoan our plight but to do the best we can to accept it and fulfill it

'When you are distressed by an external thing, it's not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your judgment of it. And you can wipe this out at a moment's notice.' - Marcus Aurelius

'If we judge as good and evil only the things in the power of our own choice, then there is no room left for blaming gods or being hostile to others.' - Marcus Aurelius

It's enough that we go into each and every day knowing that there is no one to pass the buck to. It ends with us

'Never complain, never explain.' - Benjamin Disraeli

It's so easy to complain about this or that, or to try to make excuses and justifications for the things you've done. But that doesn't accomplish anything—and it never lightens the load

An event itself is objective. How we describe it—that it was unfair, or it's a great calamity, or that they did it on purpose—is on us

Everything is change. Embrace that. Flow with it

'Hecato says, 'cease to hope and you will cease to fear,' ... The primary cause of both of these ills is that instead of adapting ourselves to present circumstances we send out thoughts too far ahead.' - Seneca

Fear and hope are the same—both are projections into the future about things we do not control

Both hope and fear contain a dangerous amount of want and worry in them. And, sadly, the want is what causes the worry

To make ourselves better and to leave other people to that task for themselves and their own journey

'Our rational nature moves freely forawrd in its impressions when it: 1. accepts nothing false or uncertain; 2. directs its impulses only to acts for the common good; 3. limits its desires and aversions only to what's in its own power; 4. embraces everything nature assigns it.' - Marcus Aurelius

Accept only what is true

Work for the common good

Match our needs and wants with what is in our control

Embrace what nature has in store for us

When one has. abelief in a greater or higher power, then there is no such thing as an event going contrary to plan

Having happiness for a moment is the same as having it forever

Devastation—that feeling that we're absolutely crushed and shocked by an event—is a factor of how unlikely we considered that even in the first place

'In short, you must remember this—that if you hold anything dear outside of your own reasoned choice, you will have destroyed your capacity for choice.' - Epictetus

'Attachment is the one thing and only one thing that causes unhappiness.' - Anthony de Mello

“As for me, I would choose being sick over living in luxury, for being sick only harms the body, whereas luxury destroys both the body and the soul, causing weakness and incapacity in the body, and lack of control and cowardice in the soul. What’s more, luxury breeds injustice because it also breeds greediness.” - Musonius Rufus

We’re all here and we’re all going to leave this earth eventually, so let’s not concern ourselves with petty differences in the meantime. We have too much to do

“How satisfying it is to dismiss and block out any upsetting or foreign impression, and immediately to have peace in all things.” - Marcus Aurelius

“Always shun that which makes you angry.” - Publilus Syrus

“If someone is slipping up, kindly correct them and point out what they missed. But if you can’t, blame yourself—or no one.” - Marcus Aurelius

If an employee is underperforming, just talk to them or figure out if they’re lacking in support

If someone is being annoying, try talking to them about the problem with their behavior, or ask yourself: why am I being so sensitive?

Every person is birth with a death sentence. Each second that passes by is one you’ll never get back

“Think nod the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what’s left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?” - Marcus Aurelius

Remove your expectations, your entitlements, your sense of having been wronged. Find the positive in the situation, but also sit with your pain and accept it, remembering that it is part of life. That’s how one conquers grief

“We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.” - Seneca

Our default state should be one of reflection and inner awareness

Time is our most irreplaceable asset—we cannot buy more of it. We can only strive to waste as little as possible

“This is the mark of perfection of character—to spend each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, laziness, or any pretending.” - Marcus Aurelius

“The mind must be given relaxation —it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced—for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break—so constant work on the anvil will fracture the force of the mind. But it regains it’s powers if it is set free and relaxed for a whole. Constant work gives rise to a certain kind of dullness and feebleness in the rational soul.” - Seneca

“It’s not at all that we have too short a time to live, but that we squander a great deal of it. Life is long enough, and it’s given in sufficient measure to do many great things if we spend it well. But when it’s poured down the drain of luxury and neglect, when it’s employed to no good end, we’re finally driven to see that it has passed by before we even recognize it passing. And so it is—we don’t receive a short life, we make it so.” - Seneca

You can take the bite out of any tough situation by bringing a calm mind to it

The purpose of all our reading and studying is to aid us in the pursuit of the good life (and death). At some point, we must put our books aside and take action

Shared from Twos ✌️