Author: Erick
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Why Searching for Meaning Is Keeping You Stuck | 379
Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man on Earth. He had every external condition for a meaningful life — wealth, status, purpose handed to him by birth. And yet, his private journals are full of reminders he had to write to himself just to keep going. Which tells you something important: meaning isn’t a thing…
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Collaborating With Reality: The Stoic Are of Being Present | 378
Far too often we’re never really in the moment. Maybe we’re stuck ruminating in the past over what we wished would have happened, or projecting out into the future our hope of what will happen. Maybe we distract ourselves with our phones, with entertainment, or alcohol or drugs. Anything that can relieve boredom or the…
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The Power of Paradox: The Stoic Art of Holding Two Truths at Once | 377
Can two things be true at the same time? Can you hold two opposing ideas at the same time? Today I want to talk about how learning be be comfortable with opposites can widen your thinking and help you see reality a little more clearly. “The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement.…
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How Fear Creates the Failure It Fears | 376
Are you motivated by fear? What if that fear is actually at the root of why you’re not getting the results you’re going after? In this week’s episode I want to talk about how to stop fear from sabotaging your best work. “What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the…
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Before You Book the Therapist, Build the Foundations | 375
Do you need therapy in order to have a good life? What is the difference between therapy and philosophy? Today I want to discuss the differences and how you need to right tools to build a good life. “We should not use philosophy like a herbal remedy, to be discarded when we’re through. Rather, we…
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The Busy Trap: Seneca on Why You’re Optimizing the Wrong Thing | 373
Are you too busy? Are you working too hard to be productive with every minute of your time? In today’s episode I want to talk about the perils of over-optimizing your life, and what the Stoics had to say about managing your time. “So, concerning the things we pursue, and for which we vigorously exert…
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Skeptical, not Cynical: How to Think in an Age of Misinformation | 372
In today’s media environment do you know how to think well? How do you know who to trust? Today we’re going to talk about how Stoicism can help you to think critically about what you consume, and how be skeptical without being cynical. “You become what you give your attention to…If you yourself don’t choose…
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Akrasia: The Challenge of Knowing vs. Doing | 371
How often do you put things off? Why do you put things off that you know you should do? Maybe waiting for circumstances to be just right before you make a change? In this week’s episode we’re going to dive a deeper into why put things off, and what you can do to build momentum,…
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370 – Q & A: Opinions, Anxiety, Ambition, & Knowing vs. Doing
How do you stop worrying about what others think of you? Is worrying ever useful? Can Stoics be ambitious? How can I actually do what I know I should? In this week’s episode I answer some of your questions through the lens of Stoicism. “It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more…
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369 – Spend It Like a Millionaire: Why Holding Back Isn’t Humility
What if the thing you’ve been quietly doing your whole life — the thing that feels almost too easy to count — is actually your greatest gift to the world? And what would it cost you to keep holding it back? “If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don’t hoard…