After hearing author Ryan Holiday on a podcast, I was intrigued with his knowledge of Stoicism and just how the philosophy aligned with my core values. After purchasing The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living and Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius I decided to document my journey. Here I will share my anecdote while learning and reflecting on Stoicism and how I plan to apply it to my life.
“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, Discourses, 4.5.1; 7b-8a
“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, Meditations, 12.1
“If you are defeated once and tell yourself you will overcome, but carry on as before, know in the end you'll be so ill and weakened that eventually you won't even notice your mistake and will begin to rationalize your behavior.”
- Epictetus, Discourses, 2.18.31
“We should take wandering outdoor walks, so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.”
- Seneca, On Tranquility Of Mind, 17.8
“If then it's not that the things you pursue or avoid are coming at you, but rather that you in a sense are seeking them out, at least try to keep your judgment of them steady, and they too will remain calm and you won't be seen chasing after or fleeing from them.”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.11
“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, Meditations, 8.36