3 Stoic Disciplines

 

1. PERCEPTION

Good or bad can only be perceived by oneself, based on what we can or cannot control in our minds and behaviors.

Epictetus famously said, “It’s not things that upset us but our judgments about things.”

As well as the event itself, there is also the mental repeated story we tell ourselves about what it means and how to cope with others’ behaviors.

 

2. WILL

Endure and bear what we can and must.

Marcus Aurelius said: “A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.”

Treat each and every moment – no matter how challenging – as something to be embraced, and grown, not avoided. To not only be okay with it, but love it and become better for it. In this way, obstacles and adversity become fuel for your potential, like oxygen for a fire.

 

3. ACTION

Zeno said that well-being was realized in small steps.

Seneca said that Stoicism was about acquiring one thing every day, and that’s it.

Marcus Aurelius said it was building your character action by action, every day.

It’s not glamorous, but with time and energy, we can make progress if we decide to be disciplined by stoic tools.

Cheers,
Jay

 

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