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175 – Circumstances and Choices

February 24, 2021 by Erick
175 - Circumstances and Choices

“Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing.” — Epictetus One of the core tenants of Stoicism is understanding the things we control and the things we cannot control. Clearly seeing things we do and don’t have control over is a skill that can impact every aspect of our lives. It can help lower our stress and help us make better and faster decisions. It can save us energy by focusing on the important things in our lives and letting go of the rest.

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, self-improvement, stoicism Tagged: philosophy, stoicism, wisdom

174 – You Are Good Enough

February 18, 2021 by Erick
174 - You Are Good Enough

“A person’s worth is measured by the worth of what they value.” – Marcus Aurelius. Every human being is worthy because they exist. You were not put here to live for someone else. You are here to realize your full potential, and if you are living for others, you are not following your path.

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, self-improvement, stoicism Tagged: philosophy, stoicism

173 – Change Your Perspective, Change Your World

February 8, 2021 by Erick
Change Your Perspective, Change Your World

Change Your Perspective, Change Your World “It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens.” – Epictetus Often times we struggle with our own perspective can color how we view ourselves and our lives. What would it take for you to change your perspective? In todays episode, we look at the story of one man who got a second chance at life, and how a shift in his perspective made all the difference.

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, self-improvement, stoicism Tagged: fear, self-reflection, shame, stoicism, vulnerability

172 – Responsibility

February 2, 2021 by Erick
172 - Responsibility

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good person should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius On this podcast I talk a lot about being responsible for for your own actions and thoughts, but what does that really mean? How do you actually accomplish this?

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, self-improvement, stoicism, wisdom Tagged: philosophy, stoicism

169 – Why Do You Care What Others Think?

January 11, 2021 by Erick
169 - Why Do You Care What Others Think?

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.” – Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius warned us worrying about the opinion of others is a waste of time. But, if we live with other people and are social animals, shouldn’t we worry about what others think?

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, self-improvement, stoicism Tagged: philosophy, stoicism

168 – Self Acceptance

January 9, 2021 by Erick
168 - Self Acceptance

“Equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the things which are assigned to thee by the common nature.” – Marcus Aurelius How often do we hold ourselves back because of our inner critic? What if instead we practiced self acceptance, and treated ourselves like we treat a good friend – with honesty, kindness, and forgiveness? The relationship you have with yourself is the most important one of your life.

Posted in: philosophy, self-improvement, stoicism Tagged: self-judgment, stoicism

158 – How To Be Alone

December 10, 2018 by Erick

“It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind, the realm of your own.” ― Marcus Aurelius Humans are very social creatures. It is our ability to be social and to cooperate in large numbers that has enabled us to create such amazing societies. We usually feel most at home when we’re with others, but there are times when we find ourselves alone. Most of us find it rather uncomfortable. How do we learn to be alone?

Posted in: Coffee Break Tagged: alone, philosophy, quiet, self-reflection, stoicism

157 – Don’t Feed the Trolls

December 3, 2018 by Erick

“If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it.” — Marcus Aurelius One of the hazards of being alive is the fact that we’re never going to please everyone. We’re going to have people that will not like what we do. People are going to criticize whatever it is we’re doing. And in the 21st century, this is nowhere more apparent than in social media. This weeks episode is about how to be your best online.

Posted in: Coffee Break, self-improvement, stoicism Tagged: anger, philosophy, stoicism, wisdom

156 – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

November 26, 2018 by Erick

“How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life” — Marcus Aurelius What could possibly go wrong? One of the biggest mistakes that we as humans make is that we are far too optimistic about how something we’re planning might go. In doing so we often fool ourselves into believing that it will work as planned, and overlook what could go wrong. In this weeks episode, we’ll discuss how we can take steps to avoid the blind spots that can easily derail us.

Posted in: Coffee Break Tagged: bias, challenges, philosophy, stoicism

154 – The Paradox of Change

November 12, 2018 by Erick

One of the weirdest things about being a human is how we get comfortable with our habits, and resist change, while at the same time we get bored when things stay the same. In this weeks episode will talk about how to deal with the paradox of change.

Posted in: Challenges, Coffee Break, Fate Tagged: challenges, change, philosophy, stoicism, wisdom

153 – Hatred of Others

November 6, 2018 by Erick

“Whoever does wrong, wrongs himself; whoever does injustice, does it to himself, making himself evil.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Hate seems to be at an all time high. In this weeks espisode we discuss if hatred is part of Stoicism.

Posted in: Coffee Break Tagged: fear, hatred, philosophy, stoicism

152 – Vulnerability and the Real You

October 29, 2018 by Erick

Why is it hard for us to be vulnerable, especially when it comes to those we care about the most? Partners, children, family, close friends – if these are the people we are the closest to why would be afraid to be ourselves around them? In this weeks episode we’ll talk about vulnerability and the real you.

Posted in: Coffee Break Tagged: philosophy, self-acceptance, shame, stoicism, vulnerability

151 – To Be Unshaken

October 22, 2018 by Erick

Do you struggle to live up to your principles? Do feel like when you make a mistake that all your efforts were not worth it? In this weeks episode, we’re going to talk about how to approach mistakes in a much more helpful way.

Posted in: Coffee Break, Tranquility Tagged: confidence, philosophy, self-judgment, stoicism

150 – The Un-Pursuit of Happiness

October 15, 2018 by Erick

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” — Emerson Do you struggle to find happiness within yourself? Do you despair every time you watch the news? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to get over this despair and how pursuing happiness may not be the best to actually finding happiness.

Posted in: Coffee Break, stoicism, Tranquility Tagged: happiness, purpose, stoicism, unhapiness, usefulness

149 – The Vocabulary of Anger

October 8, 2018 by Erick

Dealing with strong emotions in life is something that all of us have to do. But in order for us to actually deal with these different emotions that we have, we need to be sure what we’re actually feeling. We need to expand our emotional vocabulary to give us the words to be able to really identify what it is that we’re feeling and then respond appropriately.

Posted in: Anger, Awareness, Coffee Break Tagged: anger, emotions, philosophy, stoicism

148 – Comparison and Self Judgment

October 1, 2018 by Erick

How often do we compare ourselves with others? Why do we get down on ourselves when someone is better than us at something? This weeks episode is about comparison, and how to get past the need to compare ourselves with others, and change the inner critic.

Posted in: Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: comparison, philosophy, self-judgment, stoicism

147 – Look Within

September 24, 2018 by Erick

“Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig. ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. How often do we look outside of ourselves to know what to do? How often do we doubt ourselves and look to others to find a solution to a problem?

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, stoicism, wisdom Tagged: philosophy, self-reflection, stoicism, wisdom

146 – Fear is the Killer

September 17, 2018 by Erick

How many great things have never happened because of fear? How many times did you give up on a dream because of fear? This weeks episode, we’re going to talk about fear, what it is, what it does, and how to move past it.

Posted in: Coffee Break, philosophy, stoicism Tagged: fear, philosophy, stoicism

143 – The Quality of Your Thoughts

August 27, 2018 by Erick

As human beings, we have an amazing gift – the ability to be conscious of our own thinking. How are you taking advantage of this gift? When we are unaware of the thoughts running through our head, we are relinquishing control of our mind to the old habits and patterns that we have created in … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, stoicism, Tranquility Tagged: distraction, inner peace, meditation, philosophy, stoicism, thinking

141 – Willpower and Motivation

August 13, 2018 by Erick

I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation and how we accomplish the goals that we set out to do. And I think there’s a bit a confusion about motivation and how it helps us get things done. Let’s take a look at the definition of motivation: The state or condition of being motivated or having … [Read more…]

Posted in: Challenges, Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: challenges, goals, motivation, philosophy, stoicism, willpower

140 – Circumstances Don’t Make The Man

August 9, 2018 by Erick

“Circumstances don’t make the man, they only reveal him to himself.” – Epictetus How do we deal with difficulties? Do we see them as challenges or opportunities? As something that is to be suffered through, or something that teaches us who we are? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about difficult circumstances and how … [Read more…]

Posted in: Challenges, Circumstances, Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: challenges, circumstances, fate, philosophy, problems, stoicism

139 – Judgments

August 6, 2018 by Erick

Show Notes: How many times have we made judgments about someone when we first meet them, that later turn out to be completely wrong? “Impressions, striking a person’s mind as soon as he perceives something within range of his senses, are not voluntary or subject to his will, they impose themselves on people’s attention almost … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: compassion, curiousity, judgments, opinions, stoicism

138 – The Greatest Obstacle to Living

July 30, 2018 by Erick

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow, and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What … [Read more…]

Posted in: Challenges, Coffee Break, Fate, stoicism Tagged: live in the now, philosophy, present moment, Seneca, stoicism

137 – Worthy of Your Potential

May 25, 2018 by Erick

“Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes. Therefore, give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths. Remain steadfast…and one day you will build something that endures: something worthy of your … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Challenges, Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: challenges, potential, self awareness, stoic, stoicism, work

136 – The Scent of a Good Man

May 24, 2018 by Erick

“The honest and good man ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander, as soon as he comes near him, must smell him whether he chooses or not.” ― Marcus Aurelius Show Notes: This quote cracked me up. And even though Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome, I … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: character, impressions, stoic, stoicism

135 – No Easy Thing

May 23, 2018 by Erick

“You must know that it is no easy thing for a principle to become a man’s own, unless each day he maintain it and hear it maintained, as well as work it out in life.” – Epictetus Show Notes: How often do we hear something, think that we understand it, but yet it still takes … [Read more…]

Posted in: Anger, Awareness, Coffee Break, stoicism Tagged: anger, habits, principles, self awareness, stoicism

134 – A Wise Man

May 22, 2018 by Erick

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ” ― Epictetus Show Notes: If you were to sit down and write a list of all the things that you want in your life, what would be on that list? Maybe … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break, stoicism, Tranquility Tagged: contentment, desire, happiness, stoic, stoicism

133 – A Momentary Loss of Attention

May 21, 2018 by Erick

“Very little is needed for everything to be upset and ruined, only a slight lapse in reason. it’s much easier for a mariner to wreck his ship than it is for him to keep it sailing safely; all he has to do is head a little more upwind and disaster is instantaneous. In fact, he … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Challenges, Coffee Break, Control, stoicism Tagged: attention, daily practice, principles, stoic, stoicism

132 – Anything Can Happen

May 20, 2018 by Erick

“How ridiculous and unrealistic is the man who is astonished at anything that happens in life.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Book 12 Show Notes: – How often do we think that something in life shouldn’t happen to us? – As if we are somehow immune to the things that happen to anyone else in life. … [Read more…]

Posted in: Challenges, Circumstances, Coffee Break, Fate, stoicism Tagged: challenges, fate, life, stoic, stoicism

131 – Say What You Mean

May 19, 2018 by Erick

“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.” ― Epictetus Show Notes: – Have you ever been around someone that uses words they don’t understand? – How many times have you said something, then had to say, “Well, what I really meant was….”? – What if we took time to make sure … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, stoicism, Tranquility Tagged: silence, speak, stoic, stoicism, think

130 – Suffering Before It’s Time

May 18, 2018 by Erick

“He suffers more than necessary, who suffers before it is necessary.” ― Seneca Show Notes: How often have you stressed over something or worried yourself sick, only to have the scenario you were so worried about never happen? When you worry about something, and you let your imagination run with something, then you suffer many … [Read more…]

Posted in: Circumstances, Coffee Break, Fate, stoicism Tagged: outcomes, process, stoic, stoicism, stress, worry

129 – Opinions and Perspective

May 17, 2018 by Erick

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” ― Marcus Aurelius Show Notes: – So many things in our lives that we experience and accept to be “true” is simply a matter of perception. – Often we make the mistake of thinking that just because … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break, Opinion, stoicism Tagged: opinion, perception, perspective, reality, stoic, stoicism, truth

128 – Good Luck, Bad Luck, Who Knows?

May 16, 2018 by Erick

  “Man is affected, not by events, but by the view he takes of them.” — Epictetus Show Notes: • Human beings are creatures that love good stories. Stories are the things that we use to make sense of the things in the world. • Myths, such as the Greek and Roman or even Norse … [Read more…]

Posted in: Challenges, Circumstances, Coffee Break, Fate, stoicism Tagged: events, life, luck, stoic, stoicism

127 – Laugh in The Face Of Evil

May 15, 2018 by Erick

  “If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.” ― Epictetus Show Notes: When I read this quote the first thing that came to mind was “I laugh in the face of evil!” 🙂 How often do we get upset at what … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break, Opinion Tagged: gossip, opinions, others, self awareness, stoic, stoicism

126 – Admonition

May 14, 2018 by Erick

“To admonish is better than to reproach for admonition is mild and friendly, but reproach is harsh and insulting; and admonition corrects those who are doing wrong, but reproach only convicts them.” ― Epictetus Show Notes: Stoics believe that we can only control ourselves. But also believe that we are here to help others. As … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, Opinion Tagged: constructive feedback, criticism, stoic, stoicism

125 – Little By Little

May 13, 2018 by Erick

“Well-being is attained little by little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.” ― Zeno of Citium Show Notes: • Zeno of Citium was the original founder of the Stoic school of philosophy. • Not much of his writing survived, which is why he is not quoted very often when it comes to Stoic philosophy. … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Challenges, Coffee Break Tagged: daily practice, goals, progress, stoic, stoicism

124 – Stuff

May 12, 2018 by Erick

“Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We’ve been using them not because we needed them but because we had them.” ― Seneca Transcript: Hello friends, welcome to the Stoic Coffee Break. Today’s episode…Stuff “Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, Tranquility Tagged: materialism, possessions, stoic, stoicism, stuff

123 – A Different Person

May 11, 2018 by Erick

“If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person.” ― Seneca Show Notes: • How often do we wish the world would change for us? • How often do we think that we can run from … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Circumstances, Coffee Break, Control Tagged: change, circumstances, happiness, stoic, stoicism

122 – Contagious Thoughts

May 10, 2018 by Erick

“Other people’s views and troubles can be contagious. Don’t sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes through your associations with others.” ― Epictetus Show Notes: – It’s important to be careful about the ideas we entertain. – Because the ideas we hold determine who we are – How we show up in the world … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break Tagged: awareness, critical thinking, stoic, stoicism, thoughts

121 – Anger If Not Restrained…

May 9, 2018 by Erick

“Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.” ― Seneca Show Notes • Today’s topic is one that is a bit personal to me. It’s something that I struggle with at times. • I’ll get upset about something, and because I let anger get the best of … [Read more…]

Posted in: Anger, Awareness, Coffee Break, Control Tagged: anger, self awareness, stoic, stoicism

120 – Are You Lucky?

May 8, 2018 by Erick

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ― Seneca Show Notes: – Are you a lucky person? – The Stoics understood that most things in life are out of our control. – The reason that they stress that ideas so much, that we try so hard to control things around us. – Trying to … [Read more…]

Posted in: Challenges, Coffee Break, Control, Fate Tagged: chance, fate, luck, preparation, stoic, stoicism

119 – Who is Your Master?

May 7, 2018 by Erick

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.” ― Epictetus Show Notes: • Stoics believed strongly that we are all in control of our own emotions • One of the strongest emotions we have to deal with is anger • … [Read more…]

Posted in: Anger, Awareness, Coffee Break, Control Tagged: anger, control, self awareness, stoicism

118 – Contentment and Desire

May 6, 2018 by Erick

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, Tranquility Tagged: contentment, desire, happiness, stoic, stoicism

117 – Do Good of Your Own Accord

May 5, 2018 by Erick

“Even as the Sun does not wait for prayers and incantations to rise, but shines forth and is welcomed by all: so should you not wait for clapping of hands and shouts and praise to do your duty; nay, do good of your own accord, and you will be loved like the Sun.” ― Epictetus … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break, Opinion Tagged: doing good, opinions, others, self awareness, stoic, stoicism

116 – A Good Tale

May 4, 2018 by Erick

“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” ― Seneca Transcript We live in a time where the average lifespan is almost double what it was 200 years ago. Advances in medicine, sanitation, and agriculture have made it possible for more people to live … [Read more…]

Posted in: Coffee Break, Tranquility Tagged: death, momento mori, self awareness, stoic, stoicism

115 – No Opinion

May 3, 2018 by Erick

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.” ― Marcus Aurelius Have you ever considered the possibility that you don’t need to … [Read more…]

Posted in: Awareness, Coffee Break, Opinion Tagged: opinions, self awareness, stoicism

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