Episodes

291 – Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

291 – Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

March 14, 2024
290 – Laughing With The Stoics: Finding Humor on the Path to Virtue

290 – Laughing With The Stoics: Finding Humor on the Path to Virtue

March 7, 2024
289 – Interview with Mark Tuitert: Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater and Stoic Author

289 – Interview with Mark Tuitert: Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater and Stoic Author

March 6, 2024
288 – Starting Stoicism

288 – Starting Stoicism

March 4, 2024
287 – Interview with Constatin Morun of Unleash Thyself Podcast

287 – Interview with Constatin Morun of Unleash Thyself Podcast

March 3, 2024
286 – Remember Death

286 – Remember Death

February 8, 2024
291 - Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features cover

291 – Finding Your Genius: Flipping Your Flaws Into Features

“Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections.” —Harriet Braiker Discover the transformative power of viewing your traits through a new lens. In this episode we explore how what we see as weaknesses can actually be strengths in disguise, urging us to shift our perspective and embrace our unique attributes for success and happiness.

290 - Laughing With The Stoics: Finding Humor on the Path to Virtue cover

290 – Laughing With The Stoics: Finding Humor on the Path to Virtue

“It’s better for us to laugh at life than to cry over it.” — Seneca Discover how Stoicism embraces humor as a vital component of living a virtuous life. Uncover the wisdom behind laughing at life’s absurdities and how it contributes to resilience, joy, and a deeper understanding of Stoic philosophy.

288 - Starting Stoicism cover

288 – Starting Stoicism

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” —Marcus Aurelius New to Stoicism? Embark on a journey into Stoicism, an ancient philosophy that teaches the mastery of self through control, judgment, and understanding emotions. Discover practical wisdom for living a virtuous life amidst modern challenges, guided by the timeless insights of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus.

286 - Remember Death cover

286 – Remember Death

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” — Marcus Aurelius How often do you think about your death? Consider how facing your mortality can make your life richer, fuller, and happier. Remembering death helps us appreciate the present moment and find contentment now rather than waiting for it in the future. It also sharpens our senses and helps us prioritize what truly matters. By contemplating our mortality, we can develop a bigger perspective on life and live each day to the fullest. So take a little time each day to think about your death and feel more alive.

285 - Ambition or Contentment cover

285 – Ambition or Contentment

“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 Learn how stoicism can help you achieve your goals while still finding contentment in your daily life. Discover the balance between ambition and contentment, and how focusing on the process rather than the outcome can lead to true happiness. Explore the concept of non-striving and how it can change your perspective on success.

283 - Interview With Gavan Wilhite cover

283 – Interview With Gavan Wilhite

In this week’s episode, I had a captivating conversation with Gavan Wilhite, a serial entrepreneur. We discussed the power of stoicism in business and making a positive impact on the world. Gavan is an exceptional individual, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy our enlightening discussion.

282 - Timeless Principles For Handling a Changing World cover

282 – Timeless Principles For Handling a Changing World

Discover the timeless principles of Stoicism that can help you navigate the ever-changing world. Learn to focus on what doesn’t change, embrace change, seek growth over comfort, practice gratitude, live in the present moment, cultivate inner resilience, and practice compassion and understanding. These principles will empower you to handle whatever life throws your way. Join the Stoic Coffee House Community for further exploration of these principles.

281 - Self Discipline is Self Care cover

281 – Self Discipline is Self Care

Self-discipline is often misunderstood as depriving oneself of pleasure. However, it is actually a form of self-care that prioritizes long-term well-being and goals. By practicing self-awareness and making proactive choices, we can take better care of ourselves and make clearheaded decisions that lead to a more fulfilling life. Saying no and setting boundaries are also crucial in maintaining mental and physical health. Ultimately, self-discipline allows us to prioritize our own needs and thrive in all aspects of life.

280 - Interview with Author Ryan Bush cover

280 – Interview with Author Ryan Bush

This week’s episode features an interview with author Ryan Bush, who takes a design approach to structuring your thinking. In this conversation, they discuss topics such as changing how you think, self-esteem, and depression. Ryan shares insights from his book “Become Who You Are,” which explores the connection between happiness and embodying personal virtues. Tune in for an engaging discussion on personal growth and wisdom.

279 - Not True But Useful cover

279 – Not True But Useful

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Can you hold beliefs that are not true, but are useful? The idea of “Useful, Not True” suggests that our perspective on something doesn’t have to be true, as long as it’s useful. Let’s explore the concept of useful beliefs and how they can shape our lives. #NotTrueButUseful #PerspectiveMatters

278 - The Truth About Lying cover

278 – The Truth About Lying

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Noel Coward Do you lie? Do you believe that everyone lies? Why are some lies acceptable? Today I want to talk about the different kinds of lies and deceptions, and what we can do to be a bit more honest, and a little more aware when others are trying to deceive us.

277 - Embracing the Unexpected: How to Handle Life's Plot Twists Like a Stoic cover

277 – Embracing the Unexpected: How to Handle Life’s Plot Twists Like a Stoic

“Life is a storm that will test you unceasingly. Don’t wait for calm waters that may not arrive. Derive purpose from resilience. Learn to sail the raging sea. — @TheStoicEmperor Do you fear the unexpected? Do you stress out when life throws you a curveball? Life is full of surprises. When we think that we’ve got things figured out and that things are going our way, something or someone pops up and throws a monkey wrench into our day to day that disrupts our lives and sends us spinning. Let’s talk about how to handle, appreciate, and even look forward to the unexpected events that life brings your way.

276 - The Zen of Zeno: Exploring the Art of Stoic Patience cover

276 – The Zen of Zeno: Exploring the Art of Stoic Patience

“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.” — Zeno of Citium Are you rushing through life? Learn the art of patience and how it can lead to a more fulfilling life. Discover the power of being present and giving your full attention to what truly matters. #patience #mindfulness #selfgrowth

275 - A Courageous Mind cover

275 – A Courageous Mind

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt Do you live in fear? Learn why courage is the foundational virtue of stoicism and how to develop a courageous mind. Overcome adversity, gain wisdom, practice justice, temperance, and take responsibility. Cultivate integrity, honesty, self-discipline, set boundaries, and build resilience. #StoicCoffee #CourageousMind

274 - Interview with Hannah Gaber for the Jew-ish Podcast cover

274 – Interview with Hannah Gaber for the Jew-ish Podcast

Meet Erick Cloward, host of the Stoic Coffee Break podcast. In this interview with Hannah Gaber, they discuss stoicism, leaving the mormon church, and the differences between askers and guessers. Tune in for an insightful conversation!

273 - The Four Types of Problems cover

273 – The Four Types of Problems

“We must not let the impressions carry us away so that we are not in control of ourselves, but we must receive them in such a way as to be in control of ourselves.” — Epictetus Understanding the different types of problems can help you face challenges more effectively. Learn about simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic problems and how to approach each one. #problemsolving #personaldevelopment

272 - Drop Your Opinions, Live Your Principles cover

272 – Drop Your Opinions, Live Your Principles

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Do your opinions get in your way? Do your opinions cause issues in your relationships? What would happen if you weren’t so attached to your opinions? In this episode learn we should be willing to let go of attachments to our opinions and how doing so can help you live a happier life.

271 - Cultivating Connection: Stoic Insights on Loneliness cover

271 – Cultivating Connection: Stoic Insights on Loneliness

“As long as we live, let us cherish each other. For, when we die, the opportunity of aiding one another is lost for all eternity.” — Seneca Struggling with loneliness? The last few years have been tough, but it’s important to reach out and connect with others. Discover the insights on loneliness from a Stoic perspective in the latest episode. #StoicWisdom #Loneliness #Connection #StoicCoffeeBreak

270- Benefit of the Doubt cover

270- Benefit of the Doubt

“Everywhere, at each moment, you have the option: to accept this event with humility; to treat this person as they should be treated; to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in.” —Marcus Aurelius Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? Giving people grace can make you happier with yourself. Learn why it’s important to trust and forgive others in this article. #trust #forgiveness #relationships

269 - Getting Unstuck cover

269 – Getting Unstuck

“The limit is not the sky. The limit is the mind.” — Wim Hof Are you feeling stuck in life? Do you find it difficult to move forward and break free from the rut you’re in? In this article, we explore the reasons behind getting stuck and offer practical ideas to help you get unstuck. Whether it’s a lack of resources, dependence on others, fear, or burnout, we provide insights and strategies to overcome these obstacles and create positive change in your life. Don’t let stagnation hold you back – it’s time to break free and thrive! #selfimprovement #personaldevelopment #getunstuck

268 - Creation is the Purpose of Life cover

268 – Creation is the Purpose of Life

What is the purpose of life? To create. From the dawn of time, humans have been driven to create. Whether it’s art, technology, or solutions to world problems, our creativity leads to breakthroughs and advances for humanity. It’s through creation that we discover ourselves and express our humanity. Embrace your creativity and make a difference in the world. #creativity #purposeoflife #create

267 - Conquering Victimhood with a Stoic Mindset cover

267 – Conquering Victimhood with a Stoic Mindset

Playing the victim only holds us back from achieving true happiness and growth. By embracing a stoic mindset, we can let go of blame, take responsibility, and create a fulfilling life. Say goodbye to victimhood and hello to empowerment! #StoicCoffee #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowth

266 - Finding Balance: The Paradox of Pain and Pleasure cover

266 – Finding Balance: The Paradox of Pain and Pleasure

“If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.” —Epictetus Do you think that life should be all pleasure and no pain? In this episode we dig into finding balance between pain and pleasure and why if you want more pleasure, you may have to add more pain to your life. #PainAndPleasure #Balance #PersonalGrowth

264 - Personal Maintenance cover

264 – Personal Maintenance

“Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” — Epictetus Are you always looking for the lazy solution? Do you try to find “one and done” solutions to the problems in your life? Today I want to talk about how most progress is not just about knowing what to do, but about doing it consistently.

263 - No Self cover

263 – No Self

“It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens.” ― Epictetus Do you think of yourself as a “self”? What if we had no part of us that was an enduring self? How would that change how you acted in the world? Today I want to talk about the idea of how we would view the world different if there was no self.

262 - The Inverse Law of Desire cover

262 – The Inverse Law of Desire

Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want. — Naval Ravikant Do you struggle with getting the things that you want in you life? Are you unhappy because you are unable to achieve the success you want in life? Today I want to talk about an idea call the Inverse Law of Desire, and how it may be keeping you from accomplishing your goals in life.

261 - What Others Think cover

261 – What Others Think

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” — Epictetus Do you worry about what others think of you? Does it keep you from doing or saying things that you would like do? Today I want to talk about thinking errors and projection and how we can use stoic ideas to clean up our thinking.

260 - Suffer Well cover

260 – Suffer Well

“Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.” — Seneca Do you give up on things because they’re hard? How willing are you to suffer for the things that you truly want in your life? Today I want to talk about how to get what you want, and why it’s important to learn how to suffer well.

259 - Enemies cover

259 – Enemies

“There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself – an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly.” — Antisthenes Do you have enemies? Are there people that you don’t like? Are there people who don’t like you? May there is someone who makes your life more difficult? Today I want to talk about the importance of having people in our lives that challenge us.

258 - Nothing Endures But Change cover

258 – Nothing Endures But Change

“Nothing endures but change.” — Heraclitus How do you handle change? Does it overwhelm you? Do you try to ignore it or do you embrace it? Today I want to talk about understanding change and how we can use stoicism to help us through some rocky times.

257 - Face Your Fears cover

257 – Face Your Fears

“While we wait for life, life passes.” —Seneca Are you afraid to take risks? Do you continually play it safe? Are you living a life that is comfortable but unchallenging? Today I want to talk about how we can push ourselves to take more risks and live life more fully.

256 - Developing Optimism cover

256 – Developing Optimism

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” — Marcus Aurelius. Are you a pessimist? Do you see the glass as half empty? Do you often get depressed when you think about the state of the world? Today I want to talk about how stoicism can help make you an optimist.

255 - The WISER Model cover

255 – The WISER Model

“Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.” — Seneca How well do you manage your emotions? Do you feel like you’re on top of things or do you feel like you let situations get under your skin? Today I want to talk about a model I came across that can be a useful tool for managing your emotions, and handling situations like a stoic.

253 - Digging Deep: Uncovering Your Unconscious Motivations cover

253 – Digging Deep: Uncovering Your Unconscious Motivations

“No man is free who is not a master of himself.” — Epictetus. Do you always act the way you want to? Do you struggle to accomplish what you set out to do? Do you find it challenging to make choices that are in line with what you think you want? Today I want to talk about learning to understand why often make choices and do things that don’t line up with that we think we really want.

252 - Overwhelmed cover

252 – Overwhelmed

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” — Marcus Aurelius Do you get overwhelmed with the challenges of life? When life gets to stressful do you shut down and bail out? Today I want to talk about why we let things overwhelm us and what can we do to stay on track.

250 - When Life Has Other Plans cover

250 – When Life Has Other Plans

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” — Epictetus. When life throws you curveballs, how do you handle them? Do you freak out? Do you roll with it? Do you look at it as an opportunity or a disaster? Today I want to about how to keep a perspective on life that helps you keep on moving when things don’t go as planned.

249 - Strong Body for a Strong Mind cover

249 – Strong Body for a Strong Mind

It is necessary to care for the body, not for its own sake, but because it is the abode of the soul. — Musonius Rufus Do you take care of your body? To you treat it like a temple? Do you exercise it and strengthen it as much as your mind? Today I want to talk about how important it is to treat your body as good as, if not better than your mind.

248 - Conversation With Author Crystal Jasckson cover

248 – Conversation With Author Crystal Jasckson

Life is full of challenges that can knock you down, but the question is, are you going to stay down? As a romance novelist, Crystal Jackson might seem an odd choice for a guest on a podcast about stoicism, but Crystal has seen her fair share of hard knocks, and has some great lesson to share. We talk about how sometimes the greatest challenges in our lives are also the greatest teachers.

247 - There Are No Problems, Only Choices cover

247 – There Are No Problems, Only Choices

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. — Marcus Aurelius What if there were no problems in your life? I don’t mean that you don’t have things that are challenging, but what if, rather than fretting about something and framing it as a problem, you could just look at something as a choice to be made?

246 - What do You Deserve? cover

246 – What do You Deserve?

“The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.” – Ryan Holiday Life is always throwing challenges your way. Are you taking them opportunities, or are just complaining about how unfair life is? In this week’s episode, we tackle a few questions that came in about the last weeks episode…

245 - Whining or Winning cover

245 – Whining or Winning

Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining. — Teddy Roosevelt Do you think that life is fair? Do you think it’s unfair? Are others “winning” when you are not? Today I want to talk about how we fall into unhelpful ways of thinking that reduces our ability to take responsibility for ourselves, and blame our unhappiness on the world outside of us.

244 - Interview with John Chancey of Knowledge Brew Supreme cover

244 – Interview with John Chancey of Knowledge Brew Supreme

This weeks episode is an interview I did with Dr. John Chancey of the Knowledge Brews Supreme podcast. It was really fun to dive into all kinds of interesting philosophical topics with John. He’s sharp, warm, and fun. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed chatting with John.

243 - All the Feels: How to Ride the Emotional Waves cover

243 – All the Feels: How to Ride the Emotional Waves

Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions. — Elizabeth Gilbert. Are you afraid of your feelings? Do you avoid, numb, or shut down your emotions? How much stress and anxiety do you create trying to avoid uncomfortable emotions? Today I want to talk about the power of emotions, and how to reduce your suffering by feeling your emotions all the way through.

242 - How to Become Another Person cover

242 – How to Become Another Person

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. Are you living the life you want to? If you aren’t, do you know how to create big changes in your life? Today I want to talk about, rather than simply growing and getting better little by little, what if you transformed yourself into something completely different?

241 - Mind Over Mood: The Stoic Art of Reframing cover

241 – Mind Over Mood: The Stoic Art of Reframing

“It is not the things themselves that disturb people, but their judgments about these things.” — Epictetus. “We see what we believe rather than what we see.” — Alan Watts. One of the things we talk about a lot in stoicism is that it’s our perspective on something that causes our distress. So how do we change our perspective on things? Are there tools that we can use to help us view things differently? Today I want to talk about some of the things that get in our way of broadening our perspective, and what tools we can use to help change our perspective.

240 - Interview with Trever Yarrish cover

240 – Interview with Trever Yarrish

Trever Yarrish is the owner and founder of Zeal Software and The Hiive co-working space. He is also a good friend and one of my favorite people to chat with about stoicism. He’s an avid student of stoicism and brings many of the stoic principles and ideas into his companies and his personal life. We sat down and had a chat about life, work, family, and the importance of having a process for managing your mind and emotions.

239 - Lessons Learned cover

239 – Lessons Learned

The universe is change; Our life is what our thoughts make of it. — Marcus Aurelius. This year has been an especially rough year for many of us. I can honestly say it has been for me. I want talk about what I have learned over the past year, and ask you about the most important things you have learned.

238 - Show Up cover

238 – Show Up

Know, first, who you are, and then adorn yourself accordingly. — Epictetus. How do you show up in the world? Are you acting the way you want to? Are you being the person you want to be? If not, why not? In todays episode, I want to talk about how to live with integrity and be the person you want to be.

237 - Self Confidence cover

237 – Self Confidence

Self-confidence is not something that can be given to you. It must be earned, through hard work and determination. — Aristotle Are you confident person? Do you have faith in yourself as person? Are you comfortable with who you are? Today I want to talk about how we often will self sabotage ourselves not because we don’t have the skill or capacity to do something, but because we let self doubt creep in and stop us from sharing our gifts and talents.

236 - Nice vs. Kind cover

236 – Nice vs. Kind

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. — Seneca. Are you a nice person or are you a kind person? Do you know the difference? Today I want to talk about whether it’s better to be nice or kind.

234 - Easy Life cover

234 – Easy Life

It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first. — Miyamoto Musashi. The path of least resistance is a terrible teacher. — Ryan Holiday Do you want your life to be easy? Do you complain, get stressed out, or upset when challenges come up in your life? Today I want to talk about why we should not only accept adversity in our lives, but learn to embrace it.

233 - Anxious Future cover

233 – Anxious Future

The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable. —Seneca. Do you feel like the world is in chaos right now? I know that many of us feel like that. Spend a day on social media and easy to find all kinds of things wrong with the world. Is it that the world is truly more chaotic? Are things really falling apart more so than in the past? Today I want to talk about some of the reasons why some many of us feel like the world is in chaos.

232 - QTIP cover

232 – QTIP

Not to display anger or other emotions. To be free of passion and yet full of love. —Marcus Aurelius. How often do you take what other people say and do personally? How often do you feel like you have to “fix” someone else’s mood? Today I want to talk about emotional responsibility, and how it can lead a stronger sense of self and keep you from getting pulled into other peoples emotional mayhem.

231 - A Model of Thinking cover

231 – A Model of Thinking

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. —Marcus Aurelius. The stoics teach us that we have control over a few things – our thoughts, our choices, and our actions. In short, our will. So is there a way that we can get better with our thinking, and improve our outcomes? Today I want to talk about a model that can help us be more aware of how our thinking impacts us, and with that awareness, improve our lives.

230 - Our Human Contract cover

230 – Our Human Contract

Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hate, and hate leads to violence. This is the equation. — Ibn Rushd Is it ever okay to hate someone as a stoic? Is there ever a time to have “righteous anger”? Today I want to talk about anger, hate and violence in our ever more divisive world.

229 - Conscious Communcation cover

229 – Conscious Communcation

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. —Rumi Have you ever thought about how often we have judgments in our language? Are you even aware of how often we communicate our opinions and feelings about others? What if we could remove judgments from our language? Today I want to talk about ways that we can make our language more clear, and increase our ability to communicate non-judgementally with others.

228 - Offended cover

228 – Offended

Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.” —Marcus Aurelius How often have you been offended by someone? When we are offended by something it’s because of the thoughts we have about it and what we make it mean.

227 - Self Commitment cover

227 – Self Commitment

How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself? —Epictetus. How often do you find yourself starting something only to notice a few weeks or months later that you let it fall by the wayside?

226 - Cognitive Dissonance cover

226 – Cognitive Dissonance

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. — Marcus Aurelius Why do humans resist changing their minds, even in the face of overwhelming evidence? How often have you changed your opinions when presented with new facts? How often have you actually changed your behavior when you learned new information? How often to you rationalize your opinion or simply deny facts because they don’t fit your belief system?

225 - Be Yourself cover

225 – Be Yourself

The life of those who live under a mask cannot be happy and without anxiety. — Seneca. How much of our lives do we spend living in way to please other people? How much unhappiness do we feel in our lives because we’re not being ourselves? Today I want to talk about why it can be really hard to live authentically.

224 - To You or For You? cover

224 – To You or For You?

It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it. — Seneca Do you think that life just happens to you? That you are simply a pawn in the game of life? Because there are so many things that we don’t have control over in our lives, it can be easy to fall into this kind of mental trap.

223 - Changing Others cover

223 – Changing Others

When someone is properly grounded in life, they shouldn’t have to look outside themselves for approval. — Epictetus. Why do we spend so much time trying to change other people or expecting that other people will change for us?

222 - Power Over Your Mind cover

222 – Power Over Your Mind

The stoics are pretty clear that we control very little on our lives, but we do control the one thing that will make the biggest impact on our lives – our own minds. You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. —Marcus Aurelius

221 - Accept Life

221 – Accept Life

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. — Lao Tzu What does it mean to accept fate?

220 - Stoics and Emotions

220 – Stoics and Emotions

Today’s episode is about stoics and emotions. So earlier this week on reddit, in the stoicism subreddit, somebody posted a link to an article in Psychology Today called stoicism as a fad of philosophy. I decided to take the time to read the article and surprisingly I found that my podcast was mentioned in the second paragraph and called my podcast noncommittal, which I take as not an insult, but as very true about what I try to do with this podcast.

219 - Acceptance of Others

219 – Acceptance of Others

When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. — Marcus Aurelius Amor Fati is the acceptance and the embracing of your fate, or what life brings your way. We usually think of applying this to just the events and circumstances of life, but have you ever thought of applying this to other people? For me I think of Amor Fati as loving everything in your life, especially those things that you don’t have control over, and one thing we don’t have control of is other people.

218 - Accept Yourself

218 – Accept Yourself

One of the hardest things for us to do, though it is one of the most important things we will ever learn, is to accept ourselves for exactly who we are.

216 - Give yourself fully to your endeavors

216 – Give yourself fully to your endeavors

Forget everything else. Keep hold of this alone and remember it: Each of us lives only now, this brief instant. —Marcus Aurelius Don’t let fear, low self-esteem and the negative voices hold you back from your true destiny. —David Goggins

215 - The Space Between

215 – The Space Between

“When force of circumstance upsets your equanimity, lose no time in recovering your self-control, and do not remain out of tune longer than you can help. Habitual recurrence to the harmony will increase your mastery of it.” ― Marcus Aurelius

214 - Embody Your Philosophy

214 – Embody Your Philosophy

Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it. — Epictetus. The hardest thing about any philosophy is being able to apply what you learn in real life. We can read all the books, watch all the videos, follow all the gurus, but until we actually apply what we’ve learned, all of that learning is worthless.

213 - Think Long

213 – Think Long

“Everyone faces up more bravely to a thing for which he has long prepared himself, sufferings, even, being withstood if they have been trained for in advance. Those who are unprepared, on the other hand, are panic-stricken by the most insignificant happenings.” — Seneca When you’re in the midst of a challenge it’s really hard to think clearly. It’s hard sometimes to remember that this moment is just this moment and will not be forever. In this episode, I’m going to talk about how thinking longer term can help smooth out the day to day rough patches and help you stay more resilient.

212 - Friction

212 – Friction

“Anxieties can only come from your internal judgement.” — Marcus Aurelius We all have things in our lives that seems to stop us from completing things that we really want to do. Often, these things aren’t even all that big but end up being show stoppers nonetheless. Today I want to talk about why it’s important to pay attention to the things that get in your way, and some possible ways to get around them.

211 - Toxic Positivity

211 – Toxic Positivity

“To be always fortunate, and to pass through life with a soul that has never known sorrow, is to be ignorant of one half of nature.” ― Seneca Life is never meant to be kittens and rainbows. A good portion of our life is going to sadness, disappointment, and failure. In this episode, I want to talk about how being too positive can actually be bad for you.

209 - Privilege

209 – Privilege

“One cannot pursue one’s own highest good without at the same time necessarily promoting the good of others.” — Epictetus What kind of privileges have you had in your life? Do you recognize the advantages that you have enjoyed? In this episode I want to talk about privilege, and how the stoics encourage us to use the privileges we have to improve society.

208 - Radical Candor

208 – Radical Candor

“It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.” – Marcus Aurelius Are you afraid to tell others what you really think or how you really feel? In this episode I want to talk about the idea of radical candor, and how committing to being honest about what you think and feel is one of the most challenging but rewarding things you can do.

207 - Resistance

207 – Resistance

Don’t demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them to. Accept events as they actually happen. That way peace is possible.  — Epictetus What if you stopped resisting what life brought your way? What if you could cheerfully accept everything that came your way? How would that change the way you showed up in the world? This week I want to talk about the importance of dealing with what is, and not what we think it should be.

206 - The Long Ride

206 – The Long Ride

The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests. — Epictetus Do you think that life is meant to be comfortable? Do you make choices in your life to take the easy path and avoid discomfort? If so, then you may not be living a life as full as you could.

205 - Two Sides of the Same Coin cover

205 – Two Sides of the Same Coin

“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 topic that I revisit on the podcast repeatedly is how important it is to control the things that we can’ and let go of the things that we can’t. For me, this is one of the most important lessons we can learn in our lives. In this episode, I want to talk about how we be more mindful of what we can, and what we cannot control.

204 - Blame and Responsibility

204 – Blame and Responsibility

“If change is forced upon you, you must resist the temptation to overreact or feel sorry for yourself.” — Robert Greene How often do you feel that life is unfair? That something happened that you think should not have happened to you? Maybe someone hurt you and you want them to fix it? In this episode, I want to talk about blame and responsibility.

203 - Belief Without Evidence is Wrong

203 – Belief Without Evidence is Wrong

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. — William K. Clifford, Ethics of Belief We all like to think that we are wise, that our opinions are well thought out, and that we’re smart enough to spot when we have inconsistent beliefs. Today I want to talk about why believing something without sufficient evidence is wrong, and that idea that how we come to a belief or a conclusion is more important that the whether the belief or conclusion is correct.

202 - Life Is Long If You Know How To Use It

202 – Life Is Long If You Know How To Use It

“While we wait for life, life passes.” — Seneca Time is the most important, the most in demand resource that we have in life. Are you spending yours wisely or do you let it go to waste? Today I want to talk about time, and how we can take some steps to be mindful of how we spend it.

201 - You May Leave This Life at Any Moment

201 – You May Leave This Life at Any Moment

“You may leave this life at any moment: have this possibility in your mind in all that you do or say or think.” — Marcus Aurelius Do you think about death? Are you afraid of death? Do you take the time to think about what the world will be like when you are no longer here? Today I want to talk about why death is so important, and how when we avoid thinking about death, we are missing out on one of the best tools to live a fulfilling life.

200 - With Great Responsibility Comes Great Power

200 – With Great Responsibility Comes Great Power

“The responsibility is all yours. No one can stop you from being honest or straightforward.” — Marcus Aurelius To you own your actions? Do you graciously accept the consequences of your choices? When you make a mistake do you try to cover it up? Today I want to talk about the idea that to have more control over your life, you need to accept responsibility for everything you do.

199 - What Are You Thinking?

199 – What Are You Thinking?

“Objective judgment, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now at this very moment. Willing acceptance – now at this very moment – of all external events. That’s all you need.” — Marcus Aurelius How aware are you of what you are thinking? What you are feeling? Most of us like to think that we are pretty aware of what’s going on in our minds or what emotion is currently driving us. I mean, we’re the one inside of our mind, so we should know what we’re thinking or feeling, right? Well, not always…

198 - The Fear of Knowing What You Want

198 – The Fear of Knowing What You Want

“Everything, a horse, a vine, is created for some duty. For what task, then, were you yourself created? A person’s true delight is to do the things they were made for.” —Marcus Aurelius Do you really know what you want? When you think about what you want, does it excite you? Does it scare you? Are you pursuing what you want? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about why it’s scary to know what you want, and why that’s a good thing.

197 - What’s Your Excuse?

197 – What’s Your Excuse?

“Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Put your principles into practice–now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! […] Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do–now.” — Epictetus We all have events and challenges that happen in our lives. That what life is all about. When the stoics use the term Amor Fati, what they mean is to love your fate, to love and accept what life sends your way. How you feel about the events that happen to you in your life will not change if they are going to happen or not. They will happen. What thoughts you have around these events, how you feel about them, and how you respond to them are the only things that you have control over.

196 - How To Win An Argument

196 – How To Win An Argument

“It is possible to curb your arrogance, to overcome pleasure and pain, to rise above your ambition, and to not be angry with stupid and ungrateful people — yes, even to care for them.” — Marcus Aurelius How do you win an argument? All of us have to deal with conflict in our lives. To think otherwise is completely unrealistic. But when we have an argument, what is our goal? What do we hope to achieve? To change the other person’s mind? To prove that we are right?

195 - Why You Should Care

195 – Why You Should Care

“Humans exist for the sake of one another.”  — Marcus Aurelius. When you choose to live by your values, it means that you are only controlling the things that you can control, and not trying to control those you can’t. But does this mean that you can ignore everyone around you and live in ways that are only helpful to you?

194 - Find Your Why

194 – Find Your Why

“So you were born to feel ‘nice’? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?” — Marcus Aurelius One of the toughest things in life is to work at a job we don’t like. There are plenty of factors that can lead to job satisfaction. Many of them are outside of our control, but there are some that aren’t, and those are the most important ones because they can lead to true job satisfaction, and maybe to finding your purpose in life.

193 - 10,000 Kicks

193 – 10,000 Kicks

“If something is difficult for you to accomplish, do not then think it impossible for any human being; rather, if it is humanly possible and corresponds to human nature, know that it is attainable by you as well.” — Marcus Aurelius What is the key to success? Why are some people able to achieve what they want while others languish? Today we’re going to talk about how Stoicism can help you to develop the skills it takes to reach your goals, and live your best life.

192 - Self-Sovereign

192 – Self-Sovereign

“Be content to seem what you really are.” — Marcus Aurelius One of the hardest things in our lives is to be completely honest with our selves and with those around us. Why is that? Why do we hide parts of ourselves or lie about how we feel, especially with those we love the most?

191 - Get Busy With Life’s Purpose

191 – Get Busy With Life’s Purpose

“Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue — if you care for yourself at all — and do it while you can.” — Marcus Aurelius. Does being a Stoic mean you can be apathetic? Does not reacting mean that you just give up? Because Stoicism is about controlling your response, it can easily seem that you just let things just happen and don’t take action. But to be a true Stoic, you are the opposite of apathetic. You are effective. By taking the time to choose your shot, you don’t waste time or energy on the things you can’t control.

190 - The Stories We Tell Ourselves

190 – The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Support this podcast by becoming a patron! Support this podcast! “It is not events that disturb people, it is their judgements concerning them.” — Marcus Aurelius How often do you find yourself upset over something someone said? Maybe you’re stressed out over something that is happened. Maybe it’s the opposite and you’re extremely excited about some event happening in your life. Whatever it is, every event that causes some kind of emotion for you is all driven by the story that you tell yourself. One of the most important aspects of applying Stoicism in our lives is understanding our perspective...

189 - What You Are Capable Of

189 – What You Are Capable Of

“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 Have you ever thought about how much energy and effort we as humans put into seeking comfort and avoiding challenging things? So many things that we spend money on in our lives revolve around making things easier or more comfortable. Part of human evolution has been to seek comfort. We try to make things easier for ourselves. But in doing so, are we robbing ourselves of a chance to grow? In our search for convenience, do we end up weakening ourselves?

188 - Do What You Can

188 – Do What You Can

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt When you find yourself in a challenging situation, how much time do you spend wishing things were different than they are? Do you get stuck in thinking how it’s not fair? What if instead of wanting to things to be other than what they are, we worked with what we have? What kind of change could you have in your life and in the lives of others if you instead focused on what you could do? How much time and frustration would you save yourself? Today I want to talk about how taking action, even if it’s just a small one, can help get you on the path of moving through challenges.

187 - Yes, And...

187 – Yes, And…

“You only live in the present, this fleeting moment. The rest of your life is already gone or not yet revealed.” — Marcus Aurelius How often do you think about the future? How much time do you spend thinking about the expectations you have for yourself, your life, those around you? How much time do you spend in your mind in the future, so much so that you don’t really live in the present? Last week I talked about how it’s easy to get stuck in the past, and how doing so is a waste of energy because it not something that we have control over. Today I want to talk about holding expectations of the future can set us up for frustration and disappointment, and the tools the Stoics give us to enjoy life in the present.

186 - Stuck In The Past

186 – Stuck In The Past

“Reason shows us there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” — Seneca One of the core tenants of Stoicism is to be aware of, and to focus on what we can control and let go of those we can’t. One area that we don’t have control over is what happened in the past. It is not something that can we can change, yet it is one of the hardest things for us to let go of. Regrets are a prison of our own making, but we are the ones that hold the key to our escape. Learning how to untangle ourselves from past can bring us so peace and freedom to move more lightly in the present.

185 - Needy

185 – Needy

“People exist for one another. You can instruct or endure them.” — Marcus Aurelius Everyone has needs. If you are a living, breathing human being, you have needs. Why do we find it so hard to ask for the things that we need? So why do so many of us feel like we’re broken because we have needs? In this week’s episode we talk about neediness as something to be understood, not to be ignored.

184 - The Truth Never Harmed Anyone

184 – The Truth Never Harmed Anyone

”It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.”  – Marcus Aurelius Deep down, we all harbor insecurities. We feel that we just aren’t as good as we pretend to be, or want to be. Because our ego, our identity, is wrapped up in who we think we are. When something threatens that identity, we can easily get defensive. Our ego tries to maintain the boundaries of who we think we are. This week’s episode is about one of the hardest things for us as human to receive – criticism. 

183 - Mind And Body

183 – Mind And Body

“Wild animals run from the dangers they actually see, and once they have escaped them worry no more. We however are tormented alike by what is past and what is to come.” — Seneca One of the hardest things that we have to deal with as humans is anxiety. As humans, we evolved to be constantly aware of threats around us. This is how our brains evolved to keep us alive. That rustling in the bushes could have been a snake or tiger. The adrenaline spike got us ready in flash should we need to fight for our lives or run for safety. Without these traits, humans would not have survived very long. The problem is that we are built to handle threats that don’t exist for most of us.

182 - Want What You Have

182 – Want What You Have

“Don’t set your mind on things you don’t possess as if they were yours, but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they weren’t already yours.” — Marcus Aurelius When we think about things that we want in our lives, we also need to think about the thing that we already have, and appreciate those things. It’s easy for us to get stuck in the mindset of only focusing on the things that we don’t have in our lives. We focus on what we are lacking as a person and where we consider ourselves as failures. We can get too focused on all the material things that we don’t have and want.

181 - Askers and Guessers

181 – Askers and Guessers

“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.” —Marcus Aurelius For people who live in a Guess Culture, learning to ask for what we want is particularly challenging. It can feel uncomfortable, produce anxiety, and in some instances can upset the “way things are supposed to be done”. But learning to be a better asker can help improve communication with those around you, and remove a lot of stress from your life.

180 - Ask For Help

180 – Ask For Help

“Don’t be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?” — Marcus Aurelius The Stoics teach us that we’re part of the human community, that we’re here to help and support our fellow humans. None of us can survive just on our own. Even understanding this basic principle, why is it so hard to ask for help?

179 - Do Hard Things

179 – Do Hard Things

One thing that fascinates me about humans is our desire to find the easy way to do almost anything. So many of the things that we think of as necessities in our modern lives are simply things that make our lives easier. None of these things are good or bad. They are simply tools to accomplish things in a shorter span of time. But just like everything, it comes with a cost. As we get used to the comfort and ease these tools bring to our lives, it gets easy to become complacent.

177 - Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

177 – Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

“It is our own opinions that disturb us. Take away these opinions and resolve to dismiss your judgment about an act as if it were something grievous, and your anger is gone.” — Marcus Aurelius Practicing stoicism is not about repressing emotions. It is not about pretending you feel nothing. It’s about understanding how your mind works, so that you can use it to benefit you and those around you. It’s about finding balance and equanimity. It’s recognizing that you have control over what you think, feel, and do. If you are swayed by every little thing other people say, or frustrated by outside events, you will be at the whims of your emotions.

175 - Circumstances and Choices

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.

174 - You Are Good Enough

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.

Change Your Perspective, Change Your World

173 – 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.

171 - Beyond Fear

171 – Beyond Fear

“A number of our blessings do us harm, for memory brings back the agony of fear while foresight brings it on prematurely. No one confines his unhappiness to the present.” — Seneca. How different would your life be if you could live without fear? What kind of person would you be and what actions would you take if you weren’t afraid? Fear is a powerful force in our lives. It can be the driver of action or inaction. Because it taps into the hard wiring of our lizard brains, it pushes us into reacting in ways that are more basic and instinctual. In todays episode we talk about where fear comes form, and how to manage it.

170 - Boundaries

170 – Boundaries

“To achieve freedom and happiness, you need to grasp this basic truth: some things in life are under your control, and others are not.” – Epictetus There are things that we can control, and things we can’t. But how do we deal with things that we can’t control, but have a big impact on us?

169 - Why Do You Care What Others Think?

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?

168 - Self Acceptance

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.

167 – Self Advocacy

Today I want to talk about the idea of self advocacy. One area that I really struggle with, and I’ve talked a bit about it on this podcast, is the fact that I’m a recovering people pleaser. Too often I’ll put my own needs aside and try to do what I think other people want me to do. Usually it’s not a conscious thing, but a built in habit from years and years of either wanting people to like me, or to avoid conflict. The thing about people pleasing is that it’s lying. When I do something so that someone...

166 – Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome has killed more great works, more companies, more careers and possibilities than almost anything I know. When we begin something that we want to be skilled at, we understandably feel like we don’t deserve to call ourselves by the title that would accompany our work. Musician, actor, sculpture, entrepreneur, programmer, writer… We add qualifiers like “I’m working on becoming an actor.” Or “I work as an accountant, but my side hustle is composing.” Do I have to make money at it before I can call myself what I am? Do I have to wait until the title is...

165 – How to be Angry

One thing that I find vexes us in modern society is how to be angry. Anger is not a bad thing in and of itself. It simply is an emotion. When we get angry it is because something has bothered us. We’re not taught how to manage our anger very well. Things get pushed below the surface where they stew and remain unresolved. We are often afraid of dealing with someone that is angry because we as a culture, at least here in the U.S., avoid talking about it and dealing with it healthily. It is used to bully people,...

164 – Thinking in Bets

How often do we approach decisions in a black and white manner? We wonder if we are making the “right” choice, which often leads us to think there is only one choice. What if instead of there being a “right” choice or a “wrong” choice, we looked at choices based on their likelihood to achieve the outcome we want? In today’s episode we’ll discuss the book Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke. In this book, she teaches us how to approach decisions like a poker player by understanding probability, dealing with less than full information, and how sometimes we just...

163 – Self Ownership

“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 opinions of himself than on the opinions of others.” — Marcus Aurelius One of the things the Stoics teach us is that we shouldn’t worry about the opinions of others. This advice is very sound and seems pretty easy when it’s people that we don’t really know or care that much about. When it comes to the opinions of people closest to you, this is not always an easy thing. For example, if...

162 – Don’t Kill the Message

Often, we dismiss an idea because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We may dismiss the idea out of hand because it conflicts with our preexisting beliefs. We may not like the idea because it could mean that we supported an opposing view, and we are often loath to admit that we were wrong. We can be blind to seeing the merits or truth of something based on our own feelings or prejudices. Feelings are shortcuts to making decisions, and while they are very useful, we need to be deliberative and analytical thinking to make better decisions. What are some areas...

161 – Better Than You?

We want to feel like we are “doing things right”. Often this means we compare ourselves with others, making sure that we appear or at least feel like we are “better” than they are. But what does that mean? Why are we better? Who is the judge of what is better? Can we just look at someone else and see that they are the same just that they’ve made different choices? Anthony De Mello in the book Awareness, said: “Someone once had a terribly beautiful thing to say about Jesus. Thisperson wasn’t even Christian. He said, “The lovely thing about Jesuswas...

160 – I, Me, and Enlightenment

What if you could look at the world and yourself more objectively? What if you could see things without so much judgment or emotion attached? In today’s episode, we talk about a basic concept about the self from Anthony De Mello that can help us act in a more objective and less reactive manner. You can read more about this idea in the fantastic book, Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality, by Anthony De Mello.

159 - It's About Time

159 – It’s About Time

“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it…Life is long if you know how to use it.” — Seneca Time is the most important, the most in-demand resource that we have in life. Are you spending yours wisely or do you let it go to waste?

158 – How To Be Alone

“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?

157 – Don’t Feed the Trolls

“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.

156 – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

“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.

155 – Interview with Jeff Emtman of Here Be Monsters

This weeks episode is an interview with Jeff Emtman from the Here Be Monsters podcast. This is my first time interviewing someone, and Jeff is a very interesting and thoughtful guest. We talk about life challenges, creative challenges, and what it’s like to drag main. Enjoy!

154 – The Paradox of Change

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.

153 – Hatred of Others

“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.

152 – Vulnerability and the Real You

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.

151 – To Be Unshaken

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.

150 – The Un-Pursuit of Happiness

“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.

149 – The Vocabulary of Anger

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.

148 – Comparison and Self Judgment

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.

147 – Look Within

“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?

146 – Fear is the Killer

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.

145 – Hold True

“Attach yourself to what is spiritually superior, regardless of what other people think or do. Hold to your true aspirations no matter what is going on around you.” — Epictetus This weeks episode is about finding your values and holding true. As children, we’re taught how to get along with others, how to be congenial, to fit in. Kids that are seen as different or weird are often ostracized or teased. As we grow up, I think that most of us have a time in our lives where we feel like we’re not like everyone else, and we try so...

144 – Emotional Management

When was the last time that you felt a really strong emotion? What was that emotion? Gratitude? Joy? Anger? Jealousy? Emotions are a powerful force in our lives. When channeled properly, they can be the fuel that helps push us through to accomplishing what we want. They can also drive us in ways that we aren’t expecting or don’t want.

143 – The Quality of Your Thoughts

  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 our lives and letting ourselves run on autopilot. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Marcus Aurelius is...

142 – Reject the Injury

Why do we feel a sense of injury when disagrees with us? Why do we feel hurt when someone tells us we are wrong? In this week’s episode, we’re going to talk why were worry so much about what others think of us and how to learn to deal with our ego.

141 – Motivation and Willpower

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 a strong reason to act or accomplish something And let’s look at the definition of willpower: Control of one’s impulses and actions; self-control. Motivation is the reason why you want to do something. It’s the fuel that gets going. It is not the thing that...

140 – Circumstances Don’t Make The Man

  “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 they are the things we should be most grateful for. Show Notes: What does that mean? Aren’t tough challenges supposed to make us stronger?The stoics remind us that circumstances in and of themselves are neutral. They are not good or bad unless we label...

139 – Judgments

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 with a will of their own. But the act of assent which endorses these impressions is voluntary and a function of the human will.” – Epictetus We are constantly being bombarded by strong impressions, and making snap judgments. We’re constantly creating unconscious judgments about things...

138 – The Greatest Obstacle to Living

  “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 are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” – Seneca Show Notes: – Do you think too much about the future that you are not living in today?– This quote from Seneca hits two...

137 – Worthy of Your Potential

  “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 potential.” ― Epictetus Show Notes: One of most important habits to cultivate is a strong work ethic. Time and dedicated effort make it more fulfilling. There’s a saying: “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” Often, trying to take shortcuts, we’re...

136 – The Scent of a Good Man

  “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 like that fact that he had a sense of humor. His example is a potent reminder that we shouldn’t have to tell people how good we are, they should just notice. Because if someone has to tell people how good a person they are,...

135 – No Easy Thing

  “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 us quite a while to make it a part of our daily life? Change is not easy. Studies show that it takes 3-6 weeks for a habit to become ingrained, depending on the complexity of the habit. It also depends on if you are...

134 – A Wise Man

  “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 a new house, a new car, new clothes? Would the things that you already have be on the list of things you want? One of the core tenets of Stoicism being grateful for the things that we already have. Because if you can want...

133 – A Momentary Loss of Attention

  “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 does not have to do anything: a momentary loss of attention will produce the same result. It’s much the same in our case. If you doze off, all your progress up to that point will be negated. To keep a sharp eye on your...

132 – Anything Can Happen

  “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.– How often do we think that we are owed something?– As if we are somehow privileged above others, that we deserve something– We may think it’s unfair when something we worked hard for fails to materialize.– We may think it’s unfair that someone we love...

131 – Say What You Mean

  “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 that we were saying what we really meant?– How many arguments could be cut short if we stopped, thought about what we wanted and what we were trying to convey, and clearly expressed what we really meant or felt?– How many flame wars on facebook could...

130 – Suffering Before It’s Time

  “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 times before you even get to the event that might happen. Unless you can know the future, worrying about something is inventing problems that may never happen. And that kind of suffering is something that we can all probably do without. I’ve talked about...