Anna Li's Key Ideas from A Guide to the Good Life
by William B Irvine

• We should become self aware: observe how we responded to a day’s events. When did we experience negative emotions. How did we respond to an insult or stressful situation? How to apply Stoic psychological strategies to these events
• Use reasoning to overcome negative emotions: master our desires and don’t chase after fame and fortune, as those will disrupt our tranquility. Tranquility lost will outweigh the pleasure gained
• Enjoy but don’t cling to wealth, and contemplate its loss
• We are social creatures and we have a social duty

Conquering insatiability:

• Negative visualization technique: contemplate the impermanence of things
• Imagine losing things we value and what could be worse. This helps us be satisfied and happy with what we already have

Conquering worrying:

3 Buckets

1) what you have complete control over

• Spend time on this - like our goals and values

2) what you have some control over

• Internalize goals here - like focus on doing your best in a competition, and not on winning

3) things you have no control

• Fatalistic to external world - like what has happened, what is happening now are out of our control, so let it go

• Refuse to think of yourself as a victim — if you refuse to let your inner self be conquered by your external circumstances— you will have a good life
• Make your happiness depend as little as possible on external circumstances
• Accept the responsibility for our happiness — we are responsible for our own happiness and unhappiness

Joy is a choice.

Visualize losing certain things or people in your life - this exercise will help you be grateful for having them in the first place.

Negative visualization teaches us to desire what we already have in our lives. This practice prepares us for changes in our lives and gives us the confidence that no matter what happens, we can experience durable and unwavering joy.

Negative visualization in Stoicism is similar to:

• Mindfulness meditation where you observe the details of everyday life, take note of them and show appreciation for having them in your life.
• Buddhism where you are asked to contemplate the impermanence of life. Nothing lasts forever. Cherish the time you have with it.
• Christianity where saying grace before dinner allows you to be grateful for all that you have.

No matter the technique or religion, always practice gratitude.

• Don’t act on desires
• Work on wanting things that we already have
• You aren’t sacrificing for your duties as a human. You are merely just being a good human being - your social duties - just like being a good parent isn’t sacrificing if you enjoy taking care of your child

• Start with negative visualization then practice the trichotomy of control
• Be a collector of Insults and look forward to insults as opportunities to practice Stoicism (and coming up with humorous come backs)
• Be a collector of discomfort and butterflies - put yourself in uncomfortable situations, such as being nervous at a competition or recital to push yourself out of your comfort zone and see yourself grow.
• Have self discipline “Those who possess it have the ability to determine what they do with their life. And those who lack it will live life determined by someone or something else”