<ul><li>Won't you be walking in your predecessor's footsteps? The ones who pioneered these paths aren't our masters, but our guides. </li><li>Traditions are often time-tested best practices for doing something. But remember, today's conservative ideas were once controversial. </li><li>Perhaps we have a breakthrough of our own. If these ideas are true and better, embrace them - use them. You don't need to be a prisoner of dead old men who stopped learning two thousand years ago! </li></ul>

Respect The Past, But Be Open To The Future - Day 19

"If someone is slipping up, kindly correct them and point out what they missed. But if you can't, blame yourself-or no one." - Marcus<ul><li>To be able to see that if a friend is unreliable, maybe it's because they don't know what's wrong or because we haven't tried to help them fix their flaw. If an employee is underperforming, just talk to them to figure out if they lack any support. If someone is being annoying, try talking to them about the problem with their behavior, or ask yourself: Why am I being so sensitive?</li><li>And if this doesn't work, try letting it go. It might be an isolated incident anyway.</li></ul>

It's Not On Them, It's On You - Day 114

<ul><li>Philosophy is not some pursuit only for academics or the rich. It is for everyone to help us solve problems of life, not only theoretically but practically. </li><li>You're not reading these quotes for fun. Though they may be enjoyable, their aim is to help you sculpt and improve your life. And because we have but one life and one death, we should treat each experience like a sculptor with his chisels, carving until we set free the angel in the marble. </li><li>We are trying to do this difficulty thing - living and dying. And to do that, we must remember what we've learned and the wise words we've been given. </li></ul>

The Philosopher As An Artisan Of Life And Death - Day 119

<ul><li>Today, notice how often you look for more. That is, wanting the past to be more than what it was (different, better, still here) or wanting the future to unfold exactly as you expect (with hardly a thought as to how that might affect other people).</li><li>When you do this, you're neglecting the present moment. Talk about ungratefulness. This present is in our possession - but it has an expiration date, a quickly approaching one. If you enjoy all of it, it will be enough. It can last a whole lifetime.</li></ul>

The Present Is All We Possess - Day 220

"If a person seeks what is controlled by others, he will be agitated, fearful, and unstable." - Epictetus<ul><li>Epictetus is reminding you that serenity and stability are the results of your choices and judgment, not your environment. If you seek to avoid all disruptions to tranquility - other people, external events, stress - you will never be successful. Your problems will follow you wherever you run and hide. But if you seek to avoid the harmful and disruptive judgments that cause those problems, then you will be stable and steady wherever you happen to be.</li></ul>

If You Want To Be Unsteady - Day 158

<ul><li>It's something to think about when you consider whom to work with and whom to do business with in life. If you provide a bad example or something illegal or unethical advice to your employees, associates, or your children, might they betray you or hurt you down the road? What goes around comes around, is the saying. Karma is a notion we have imported from the East, along similar lines. </li><li>Seneca paid a price for his instructions to Nero. As has been throughout the ages, his hypocrisy - avoidable or not - was costly. So too will be yours. </li></ul>

We Reap What We Sow - Day 82

Whatever our case is today, let's align our minds along these four critical habits:<ol><li>Accept only what is true. </li><li>Work for the common good. </li><li>Match our needs and wants with what is in our control. </li><li>Embrace what nature has in store for us. </li></ol>

Four Habits Of The Stoic Mind - Day 104

<ul><li>Have you ever been to physical rehab? It's not a fun place to be. It turns out that healing hurts. The experts know where to exert pressure so that they can strengthen where the patient is weak and help stimulate the areas that have atrophied. </li><li>Stoic philosophy is a lot like that. Some exercises will touch one of your pressure points. It's nothing personal. It's supposed to hurt. That's how you'll develop the will to endure and persevere through life's many difficulties. </li></ul>

The Philosopher's School Is A Hospital - Day 27

Robert Caro has written that "power doesn't corrupt, it reveals." In some ways, prosperity - financial and personal - is the same way. <ul><li>If your mind has developed a certain cast - the habit of panicking, then it won't matter how good things get for you. You're still primed for panic. Your mind will still finds things to worry about, and you'll still be miserable. </li><li>That's why it's foolish to hope for a good fortune. If you were to hope for one thing, you could hope for the strength of character that's able to thrive in good fortune. Or better, work for that kind of character and confidence. </li></ul>

What Will Prosperity Reveal - Day 52

"Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice, which oversees all other things, and is free from any other master." - EpictetusYour hidden power is your ability to use reason and make choices, however limited or small. Think about the areas of your life where you are under duress or weighted down by obligation. What are the choices available to you, day after day? Are you taking advantage? Are you finding the positives?

Your Hidden Power - Day 32

<ul><li>Seneca tells us that we should each have our own Cato - a great and noble person we can allow into our minds and use to guide our actions. It doesn't have to be an actual person, just someone who, like Seneca said, can stand witness to our behavior. Someone who can quietly admonish us if we are considering doing something lazy, dishonest, or selfish.</li><li>And if we do it right, and live our lives in such a way, perhaps we can serve as someone else's Cato when they need it.</li></ul>

Find Yourself A Cato - Day 215

<ul><li>After all you've read, it night be tempting to think: This stuff is great. I get it. I'm a Stoic. But it's not that easy. Just because you agree with the philosophy doesn't mean the roots have fully taken hold in your mind. </li><li>Fooling with books so you can sound smart or have an intimidating library is like tending a garden to impress your neighbours. The seeds of Stoicism are long underground. Do the work required to nurture and tend to them. So that they - and you - are prepared and sturdy for the hard winters of life. </li></ul>

A Garden Is Not For Show - Day 40

<ul><li>All of us have used phrases like, "I'm going to be straightforward with you here... ", "I'll be honest with you... ", "No disrespect but..." Empty expressions or not, if you say you're being honest now, does that mean you usually aren't? </li><li>What if, instead, you cultivated a life and a reputation in which honesty was as emphatic and explicit as a contract, as permanent as a tattoo? Not only would it save you from needing to use the reassurances that other, less scrupulous people must engage in, it will make you a better person. </li></ul>

Honesty As Our Default - Day 66

<ul><li>When a bad habit reveals itself, counteract it with a commitment to a contrary virtue. For instance, let's say you find yourself procrastinating today - don't dig in and fight it. Get up and take a walk to clear you head and reset instead. </li><li>Oppose established habits, and use the counterforce of training to get traction and make progress. If you find yourself cutting corners during a workout or on a project, say to yourself: "OK, now I am going to go even further or do even better." </li><li>Good habits have the power to drive out bad habits. And habits are easy to pick up - as we all know. </li></ul>

Good Habits Drive Out Bad Habits - Day 74

<ul><li>People tend to get ahead of themselves, thinking they've got it all figured out and are better than those that don't. It becomes so unpleasant when someone has to drop some knowledge on them. </li><li>But this is entirely avoidable. If the bubble is never inflated, it won't need to be popped. Overconfidence is a great weakness. But if you are already humble, no one will need to humble you - and the world is much less likely to have nasty surprises in store for you. If you stay down to earth, no one will need to bring you - often times crushingly so - back down. </li></ul>

Be Down To Earth, Or Be Brought Down - Day 37

<ul><li>When you set your mind to a task, do you always follow through? It's good if you do. But don't let yourself become a prisoner of that kind of determination. </li><li>Conditions change. New facts come in. Circumstances arise. If you can't adapt to them - if you simply proceed forward without adjusting to this new information - you are no better than a robot. The point is not to have an iron will, but an adaptable will. </li><li>It's not weak to change and adapt. Flexibility is it's own kind of strength. In fact, this flexibility combined with strength is what will make us resilient and unstoppable. </li></ul>

Flexibility Of The Will - Day 44

You've endured countless troubles - it's enough already! <ul><li>How many things you fear have actually come to pass? How many times had anxiety, jealousy or frustration lead you down a bad road?</li><li>Letting our reason rule the day might seem like more work, but it saves us quite a bit of trouble. Your brain was designed to do this work - to separate what is important from what is senseless, to keep things in perspective. You only need to put it to use.</li></ul>

Take Charge and End Your Troubles - Day 7

"As Cicero says, we hate gladiators if they are quick to save their lives by any means; we favor them if they show contempt for their lives." - Seneca <ul><li>We do not need to disregard our physical safety or engage in wanton acts of violence to be brave. But nobody respects a coward. Nobody likes a shirker of duty. Nobody admires a person who puts too high a price on their own comfort and needs. </li><li>That's the irony of cowardice. It's aimed at self-protection, but it creates shameful secrets. Self-preservation is hardly worth it because of everything it costs in return. </li><li>Be brave. Be dignified. </li></ul>

Dignity And Bravery - Day 127

<ul><li>Anyone who has been exposed to Hindu or Buddhist thought has probably heard of the concept of a mantra. It's a word or utterance which allows us to block everything else while we focus.</li><li>Marcus would suggest this Stoic mantra - a reminder or watch phrase to use when we feel false impressions, distractions, or the crush of everyday life upon us. It says, essentially, "I have the power within me to keep that out. I can see the truth."</li><li>Change the wording as you like. That part is up to you. But have a mantra and use it to find the clarity you crave.</li></ul>

The Power Of A Mantra - Day 173

<ul><li>When people say change is good, they're usually trying to reassure themselves. Because instinctively we view change as bad - or at least we're suspicious of it.</li><li>The Stoics want you to do away with those labels altogether. Change isn't good. The status quo isn't bad. They just are.</li><li>Remember, events are objective. It's only our opinion that says something is good or bad (and thus worth fighting against or fighting for). A better attitude? To decide to make most of everything. But to do that you must first cease fighting.</li></ul>

Not Good Neither Bad - Day 90

<ul><li>What we consider to be harmless indulgences can easily become full-blown addictions. The little compulsions and drives we have not only chip away at our freedom and sovereignty, they cloud our clarity. We think we're in control - but are we really? As one addict put it, addiction is when we've "lost the freedom to abstain." Let us reclaim that freedom.</li><li>What that addiction is for you can vary: Soda? Drugs? Complaining? Gossip? Internet? Pornography? Biting your nails? But you must reclaim the ability to abstain because within it is your clarity and self-control.</li></ul>

Seeing Our Addictions - Day 155

<ul><li>Today, see if u can go without blaming a single person or thing. Someone messed up your instructions - it's on you for expecting anything different. Your stock portfolio takes a big loss - what did you expect making such a big bet? </li><li>Whatever it is, however bad it may be, see whether you can make it a whole day laying it all in your reasoned choice. </li><li>Start where u need to. Even 1 minute without playing the blame game is progress in the art of living. </li></ul>

Take Responsibility For Your Choices - Day 11

<ul><li>They say age is just a number. Rich people and health nuts spend billions in an effort to move the expiration date from around seventy-eight to hopefully forever. </li><li>The number of years we manage to eke out doesn't matter, only what those years are composed of. Seneca put it best when he said, "Life is long if you knew how to use it." Sadly, most people don't - they waste the life they've been given. Only when it's too late do they try to compensate for that waste, by vainly hoping to put more time on the clock. </li><li>Use today. Use everyday. Make yourself satisfied with what you have been given. </li></ul>

It's Just A Number - Day 129

"By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop." - Robert Greene<ul><li>Having an end in mind is no guarantee that you'll reach it - but not having an end in mind is a guarantee you won't.</li><li>How will you know what do to in a day, where to say yes/no, when you've had enough of something, when you've gotten off track, if you've never defined what those things are?</li><li>The answer is that you cannot. And so you are driven into failure - or worse, into madness by the oblivion of directionlessness.</li></ul>

Clarify Your Intentions - Day 152

"The person who does wrong, does wrong to themselves - making themselves evil" - Marcus Aurelius <ul><li>The next time you do something wrong, try to remember how it made you feel. Rarely does one say, "I felt great!"</li><li>We feel a version of sickness when we lie, when we cheat and when we screw someone over. In that split second before your ill-gotten gains kick in, ask: How do I feel about myself? </li><li>Self-awareness and wrongdoing rarely go together. If you need a selfish reason to not do wrong - put yourself in touch with these feelings. They're a powerful disincentive. </li></ul>

A Selfish Reason To Be Good - Day 62

<ul><li>Epictetus points out, there is no reason to tell stories about your past. It's boring, annoying, and self-absorbed. It might make you feel good to dominate the conversation and make it all about you, but how do you think it is for everyone else? Do you think people are really enjoying your life's highlights?</li><li>Try your best not to create this fantasy bubble - live in what's real. Listen and connect with people, don't perform for them</li></ul>

Don't Tell Yourself Stories - Day 211

<ul><li>Most people resist the idea of a true self estimate probably because they fear it might mean downgrading some of their beliefs about who they are and what they're capable of. Don't fear self-assessment. It's equally damaging to value yourself at less than your true worth.</li><li>We underestimate our capabilities just as much and just as dangerous as we overestimate other abilities. Cultivate the ability to judge yourself accurately and honestly. Look inward to discern what you're capable of and what it will take to unlock that potential.</li></ul>

Accurate Self-Assessment - Day 207

"That which isn't good for the hive, isn't good for the bee. That which doesn't harm the community can't harm the individual." - Marcus Aurelius Just because something is bad for you doesn't mean it's bad for everyone. Just because something is good for you definitely doesn't mean it's good for everyone. A good stoic understands that proper impulses, and the right actions that arise from them, naturally carry the good of the whole, which is the wise person's only good. Conversely, good and wise actions by the whole are what's good for the individual.

All For One, One For All - Day 59

<ul><li>Let's say someone has treated you rudely. It's natural to think: Oh that's how the world works, or One day it will be my turn to be like that. </li><li>But the proper response - indeed the best revenge - is to exact no revenge at all. If you meet other people's dishonesty with dishonesty of your own, guess what? You're proving them right - now everyone is a liar. </li><li>Instead, today, let's seek to be better than the things that disappoint or hurt us. It's awful to cheat, to be selfish, to feel the need to inflict pain on our fellow beings. Meanwhile, living morally and well is quite nice. </li></ul>

Revenge Is A Dish Best Not Served - Day 68

We go through our days responding and reacting, but it's better to really pause and ask: Is this the kind of thing the person I would like to be should do? The work of living is to set standards and then not compromise them. When you're brushing your teeth, choosing your friends, losing your temper, instructing your child, or walking your dog - all of these are opportunities. Now I want to do good - that's an excuse. But I will do good in this particular instance, right now. Set a standard; hold fast to it. That's all there is.

Set The Standards And Use Them - Day 64

"Don't trust in your reputation, or position, but in the strength that is yours - namely, your judgements about the things that you control and don't control. For this alone is what makes us free and unfettered, that picks us up by the neck from the depths and lifts us eye to eye with the rich and powerful." - Seneca <ul><li>Once Alexander's way was blocked by a philosopher. "This man has conquered the world. What have you done?" asked one of his men. The philosopher replied, "I have conquered the need to conquer the world". </li><li>This just means focusing inward on acquiring power rather than outward. </li></ul>

How To Be Powerful - Day 93

"I'll never be ashamed to quote a bad writer with good saying." - Seneca<ul><li>Seneca was looking for wisdom, period. It didn't matter where it came from. This is something a lot of people seem to miss. Who cares whether some bit of wisdom is from a stoic, epicurean or anyone? What matters is whether it makes your life better. </li><li>What wisdom or help would you be able to find today if you stopped caring about affiliations and reputations? How much more could you see if you just focused on merit? </li></ul>

Learn From All Sources - Day 18

<ul><li>Political winds could change in an instant, depriving you of the most basic freedoms you take for granted. Or, no matter who you are or how safely you've lived your life, there's someone out there who would rob and kill you for a couple of dollars. </li><li>Death is not the only unexpected interruption we might face - our plans can be dashed to pieces by a million things. Today might be a bit more pleasant if you ignore those possibilities, but at what cost? </li></ul>

The Benefits Of Sobering Thoughts - Day 121

<ul><li>Roosevelt was a truly great man. But he was driven by compulsion, a work and activity addiction that was seeming without end. Many of us share this affliction - being driven by something we can't control. We're afraid of being still, so we seek out strife and action as a distraction. We choose war - when peace is a far more honorable and fitting choice.</li><li>Yes, the man in the arena is admirable. As is the soldier and the politician and the businesswoman and all the other occupations. But, and this is a big but, only if we're in the arena for the right reasons.</li></ul>

Don't Seek Out Strife - Day 184

"Yes getting your wish would have been so nice. But isn't that exactly why pleasure trips us up? Instead, see if these things might be even nicer - a great soul, freedom and honesty, kindness, saintliness." - Marcus Aurelius <ul><li>Marcus reminds us that pleasure hardly stand up to virtue. The dopamine rush from sex is momentary. So is the pride of an accomplishment or a hearty applause from a crowd. These pleasures are powerful, but they wear off and leaving us wanting more. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">What lasts longer (and remains more within our control)? Wisdom, good character, sobriety, and kindness. </li></ul>

A Higher Pleasure - Day 63

<ul><li>Most of society seems to have taken it as a commandment that one must know about every single current event, watch every episode of a critically acclaimed series, follow the news regularly, etc.</li><li>But where is the evidence that this is actually necessary? How much more time, energy, and pure brainpower would you have available if you drastically cut your media consumption? How much more rested and present would you feel if you were no longer excited and outraged by every breaking story of and potential crisis (many of which never come to pass anyway)?</li></ul>

You Don't Have To Stay On Top Of Everything - Day 177

<ul><li>Clarity of vision allows us to have belief. That's not to say we're always going to be 100 percent certain of everything. Rather, we're heading generally in the right direction - that we don't need to constantly compare ourselves with other people or change our minds every three seconds based on new information.</li><li>Instead, tranquility and peace are found in identifying our path and in sticking to it: staying the course - making adjustments here and there, naturally - but ignoring the distracting sirens who beckon us to turn toward the rocks.</li></ul>

Place Is In Staying The Course - Day 162

<ul><li>It's never great to judge other people, but it's worth taking a second to investigate how a life dedicated to indulging every whim actually works out.</li><li>Ever wonder what God thinks of money? Just look at the people he gives it to. The same goes for pleasure. Look how quickly the partying of a young starlet turns to drug addiction and a stalled cancer.</li><li>Ask yourself: Is that really worth it? Is it really that pleasurable?</li><li>Consider that when you crave something or contemplate indulging in a "harmless" vice.</li></ul>

The Grand Parade Of Desire - Day 198

<ul><li>Seneca, who was one of the richest men in Rome, knew firsthand that money only marginally changes life. It doesn't solve the problems that people without it seem to think it will. In fact, no material possession will. External things can't fix internal issues.</li><li>We constantly forget this - and it causes us so much confusion and pain. Hemingway would write, "He thought (the rich) were a special glamorous race and when he found they weren't it wrecked him as much as any other thing that wrecked him." Without a change, the same will be true for us.</li></ul>

The Truth About Money - Day 170

<ul><li>In the hiring process, most employers look what jobs the candidates have held in the past. This is because past success can be an indicator of future success. But is it always? </li><li>Of course not. This is why character is a far better measure of a man or woman. Not just for jobs, but for friendships, relationships, for everything. Heraclitus put it as a maxim: "Character is fate." </li><li>When you seek to advance your own position in life, character is the best lever - perhaps not in the short term, but certainly over the long term. And the same goes for the people you invite in your life. </li></ul>

Character Is Fate - Day 84

<ul><li>There is only one thing that causes unhappiness. It's attachment. Attachments to a specific person, place, time, job or a lifestyle.</li><li>Attachments are what make it so hard to accept change. Once we have them, we don't want to let go. We become slaves to maintaining the status quo. </li><li>But everything is in a constant state of change. We have certain things for a while and then lose them. The only permanent thing is our reasoned choice. They are resilient and adaptable. The sooner we become aware of this the better. The easier it will be to accept and adapt to what does happen. </li></ul>

Attachments Are The Enemy - Day 109

"We are like pellets of incense falling on the altar. Some collapse sooner, others later, but it makes no difference."-Marcus Aurelius <ul><li>Measuring ourselves against others makes acceptance difficult, because we want what they have, not what we happen to have. But that makes no difference. </li><li>Some might see this line from Marcus as pessimistic, whereas others see it as optimistic. It's really just truth. We're all here and we're all going to leave this earth eventually, so let's not concern ourselves with petty differences in the meantime. We have too much to do. </li></ul>

The Altar Of No Difference - Day 112

"There is no reason to live and no limit to our miseries if we let our fears predominant." - Seneca"Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." - RooseveltThe stoics knew fear was to be feared because of the miseries it creates. A tough situation isn't helped by terror - it only makes things harder. That's why we must resist it and reject it, if we wish to turn this situation around.

Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself - Day 34

"Just as we commonly hear people say the doctor prescribed some particular exercises, or ice baths, we should in the same way say that nature prescribed someone to be diseased, or disabled, or suffer any impairment. Incase of the doctor, something is ordered to help aid someone's healing. But in the case of nature, what happens to each of us is ordered to help aid our destiny" - Marcus<ul><li>When external events set in, we fight like hell if anything happens contrary to our plans. What if this was as good for us, as a medicine the doctor would've prescribed as part of our treatment? </li><li>Well, what if? </li></ul>

Following The Doctor's Orders - Day 89

<ul><li>A sign on President Truman's desk read, THE BUCK STOPS HERE. As president, he knew that good or bad, there wasn't anyone he could blame for stuff other than himself. </li><li>As president of our own lives - and knowing that our powers begin and end with our reasoned choice - we would do well to internalize this same attitude. We don't control things outside that sphere, but we do control our attitudes and our responses to those events - and that's plenty. It's enough that we go into each and every day knowing that there is no one to pass the buck to. It ends with us. </li></ul>

The Strong Accept Responsibility - Day 98

<ul><li>We're going to get caught off guard from time to time. Not just by a terrorist attack or a financial panic - but also minor, unexpected occurrences. Your car battery dies, you don't feel well suddenly. These situations may throw us into confusion and disarray. </li><li>That's perfectly OK! It happens. A line of infantry men will face withering attacks. Musicians will experience technical difficulties. It just matters that they get into position as fast as possible. </li><li>The same is true for you today. The order and peace might be interrupted by a new scenario. Get a hold of yourself and find your way back. </li></ul>

Maintain Composure, Maintain Control - Day 46

<ul><li>Stoicism is not a religion. You're not obligated to save anyone - there's no risk of hell if a soul remains ignorant to the Stoic philosophy. </li><li>But now that you've learned a better path, you can be of service to others. You can share your wisdom or insight with a friend or stranger - remembering that behaviour is always a better example than a lecture. </li><li>Everyone deserves to benefit from "philosophy's principles" as Seneca put it. If you see someone who is in need of help, or has asked for guidance, provide it. You owe them that much. </li></ul>

Spread The Word - Day 71

<ul><li>"Hard winter training" is the notion that there is no such thing as part-time soldering (or part time anything for that matter). In order to achieve victory, one must dedicate every second into preparation and training. </li><li>The same is true for us. We can't do this life half heartedly. There's no time off. There aren't even weekends. We are always preparing for what life might throw at us - and when it does, we're ready and don't stop until we've handled it. </li></ul>

First, A Hard Winter Training - Day 28

<ul><li>Stories about lottery winners tend to share one lesson: suddenly coming into a great deal of money is a curse, not a blessing. In just a few years, many lottery winners are actually in worse financial shape. They've lost friends, got divorced, and their lives have turned into a nightmare as a result of their good fortune. </li><li>And yet the most common response from a cancer survivor, the person who went through the thing we all dread and fear? "It was the best thing that ever happened to me."</li><li>Funny how that works out, isn't it? </li></ul>

Funny How That Works Out - Day 111

<ul><li>The stoics saw sports as both a fun pastime as well as a training ground to practice for the challenges one will inevitably face in the course of living. </li><li>Everyone has found themselves outmatched by an opponent, frustrated by some skill that we don't - height, speed, vision, whatever. How we choose to respond says a lot about who we are.</li><li>Do we see it as a chance to learn and get stronger? Do we get frustrated and complain? Or worse, do we call it off and find an easier game to play, one that makes us feel good instead of challenged? </li></ul>

No Pain, No Gain - Day 47

<ul><li>The leader convinced that he might be betrayed acts first and betrays others first. Afraid that he's not well-liked he works hard that it has the opposite effect. Convinced of mismanagement, he micromanages and becomes the Source of mismanagement. The things we dread or fear, we blindly inflict on ourselves.</li><li>The next time you're afraid of some outcome, remember that if you don't control your impulses if you lose your self-control, you may be the very source of the disaster you so fear. It has happened to smarter and more powerful and more successful people. It can happen to us too</li></ul>

Fear Is A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy - Day 185

<ul><li>"Who then is invincible? The one who cannot be upset by anything outside their reasoned choice." - Epictetus</li><li>Have you watched a seasoned pro handle the media? They parry every blow with humor, poise, and patience. They always choose not to flinch or react.</li><li>Our reasoned choice - Our prohairesis, as the Stoics called it - is a kind of invincibility that we can cultivate. We can shrug off hostile attacks and breeze through pressure or problems. And, like our pro, when we finish, we can point back to the crowd and say, "Next!</li></ul>

On Being Invincible - Day 182

<ul><li>Marcus Aurelius throughout his struggles - the years at war, the crippling illness, his troubled son - he never gave up. It's an inspiring example for us to think about today if we get tired, frustrated, or have to deal with some crisis. Here was a guy who has every reason to be angry, who could have abandoned his principles and lived in luxury, put his responsibilities aside and focused on his own health. </li><li>But he never did. His soul stayed strong even after his body became weak. He didn't give up, right up to the second until his body finally did. Let's practice this in our lives. </li></ul>

Don't Let Your Soul Go First - Day 143

<ul><li>Have you had a bad couple of weeks? Have you been drifting away from the principles and beliefs that you hold dear? It's perfectly fine. It happens to all of us.</li><li>But the reminder here is that no matter what happens, no matter how disappointing our behavior has been in the past, the principles themselves remain inchangés. We can return and embrace them at any moment. What happened yesterday - what happened five minutes ago - is the past. We can reignite and restart whenever we like.</li><li>Why not do it right now?</li></ul>

Reignite Your Thoughts - Day 167

<ul><li>Warren Buffet, whose net worth is $65 billion, lives in the same house he bought in 1958 for $31,500. There're many people like him.</li><li>Their lifestyle is the result of prioritizing. They cultivate interests below their financial means, and as a result, any income would allow them the freedom to pursue the things they most care about. This kind of clarity - about what they love most in the world - means they can enjoy their lives.</li><li>The more things we desire and the more we have to do to earn or attain those achievements, the less we actually enjoy our lives - and the less free we are.</li></ul>

The Only Prize - Day 172

<ul><li>The next time someone gets upset near you - crying, yelling, or breaking something, watch how quickly this statement will stop them cold: "I hope this is making you feel better." Because of course, it isn't.</li><li>It's worth applying that standard to yourself. The next time you find yourself in the middle of a freakout, moaning and groaning with flu-like symptoms, or crying tears of regret, just ask: Is this actually making me feel better? Is this actually relieving any of the symptoms I wish were gone?</li></ul>

Did That Make You Feel Better? - Day 186

<ul><li>I'll be happy when I graduate when I get this promotion when I do this or that. Psychologists call this conditional happiness. Like the horizon, you can walk for miles but you'll never reach it.</li><li>Eagerly anticipating some future event, passionately imagining something you desire, looking forward to some happy scenario - as pleasurable as these activities might seem, they ruin your chance at happiness here and now. Locate the yearning for more, better, someday and see it for what it is: the enemy of your contentment. Choose it or your happiness, because these two are not compatible.</li></ul>

The Enemy Of Happiness - Day 195

<ul><li>As the Stoics have said many times, getting angry almost never solves anything. Usually, it makes things worse. We get upset, then the other person gets upset - now everyone is upset, and the problem is no closer to getting solved.</li><li>Some say anger is a good fuel. The desire to "prove them all wrong" has made many a millionaire. But those people ignore the side effects and the wear and tear caused by anger. When the initial anger runs out - now more and more must be generated to keep the machine going (until, eventually, the only source left is anger at oneself)</li></ul>

Anger Is Bad Fuel - Day 188

<ul><li>Today, if you find yourself rushed or uttering the words "I just don't have enough time," stop and take a second. Is this actually true? Or have you committed to a lot of unnecessary things? </li><li>Are you actually being efficient, or have you assumed a great deal of waste into your life? The average American spends something like forty hours a year in traffic. That's months over the course of a life. And for "traffic", you can substitute so many activities - from fighting with others to watching television to daydreaming. </li><li>Your life is plenty long - just use it properly. </li></ul>

Life Is Long - If You Know How To Use It - Day 142

<ul><li>How often are we asked a simple question like "Who are you?" and or "What do you do?" or "Where are you from?" Considering it a superficial question - if we even consider it at all - we don't bother with more than a superficial answer.</li><li>But, gun to their head, most people couldn't give much in the way of a substantive answer. Could you? Have you taken the time to get clarity about who you are and what you stand for? Or are you too busy chasing unimportant things, mimicking the wrong influences, and following disappointing or un fulfilling or non-existent paths?</li></ul>

Where, Who, What, And Why? - Day 153

<ul><li>Marcus Aurelius constantly points out how the emperors who came before him were barely remembered just a few years later.</li><li>The same goes for those driven to the heights of hate or anger or obsession or perfection. Alexander the great - one of the most ambitious and passionate men - was buried in the same ground as his mule driver. Eventually, all of us will pass away and slowly be forgotten. We should enjoy this brief time we have on earth - not be enslaved to emotions that make us miserable and dissatisfied.</li></ul>

The Smoke And Dust Of Myth - Day 202

<ul><li>The dysfunctional job that stresses you out, a contentious relationship, life in the spotlight. Why are you subjecting yourself to this? Our adrenal glands can handle only so much before they become exhausted. Shouldn't you preserve them for life-and-death situations?</li><li>So yes, use Stoicism to manage these difficulties. But don't forget to ask: Is this really the life I want? Every time you get upset, a little bit of life leaves the body. Are these really the things on which you want to spend that priceless resource? Don't be afraid to make a change - a big one.</li></ul>

Protect Your Piece Of Mind - Day 190

<ul><li>It's dangerous to have faith in what you do not control. But your own reasoned choice? Well, for now that is in your control. Therefore it is one of the few things you can have confidence in. It's the one area of health that can't suddenly be given a terminal diagnosis. It's the only one that remains pristine and never wears down - it's only the user who quits it; never will it quit the user. </li><li>All philosophers lived this way - even while they had families and while they were struggling students. And so can you. </li></ul>

Everlasting Good Health - Day 132

<ul><li>No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don't have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have. </li><li>John D. Rockefeller believed that "a man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income. If he feels rich on $10 and has everything he desires, he really is rich." </li><li>Today, you could try to increase your wealth, or you could take a shortcut and just want less. </li></ul>

Want Nothing =Have Everything - Day 23

<ul><li>Think of all the interests vying for a share of your wallet or for a second of your attention. Every human is pulled by these internal and external forces that are increasingly more powerful and harder to resist.</li><li>Philosophy is simply asking us to pay careful attention and to strive to be more than a pawn. Man is pushed by drives but pulled by values. These values and inner awareness prevent us from being puppets. Sure, paying attention requires work and awareness, but isn't that better than being jerked about on a string?</li></ul>

Cut The Strings That Pull Your Mind - Day 161

<ul><li>Do we treat the days of our lives like we treat our money? Because we don't exactly know how many days we'll be alive, and because we try our hardest not to think about the fact that someday we'll die, we're pretty liberal with how freely we spend our time. We let people and obligations impose on that time, only rarely asking: What am I getting in return here? </li><li>Seneca's maxim is the equivalent of cutting up your credit cards and switching to cash. He says to put real thought into every transaction: Am I getting my money's worth here? Is this a fair trade? </li></ul>

Don't Sell Yourself Too Cheaply - Day 126

<ul><li>It is essential for you to remember that the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to it's worth, for then you won't tire and give up. </li><li>If you give things more time and energy than they deserve, they're no longer lesser things. You've made them important by the life you've spent on them.</li><li>And sadly, you've made the important things - your family, your health, your true commitments - less so as a result of what you've stolen from them. </li></ul>

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff - Day 16

"You are afraid of dying. But, come now, how is this life of yours anything but death?" - Seneca <ul><li>Most of us are afraid of dying. But sometimes this fear begs the question: To protect what exactly? For a lot of people the answer is: hours of television, gossiping, wasting potential, reporting to a boring job, and on and on and on. Expect, in the strictest sense, is this actually a life? Is this worth gripping so tightly and being afraid of losing? </li><li>It doesn't sound like it. </li></ul>

What Are You So Afraid Of Losing - Day 139

<ul><li>Marcus read all of Epictetus's ideas and he absorbed them wholly with a deep understanding. They became part of his DNA as a human being. He quoted them at length over the course of his life, finding real clarity and strength in words, even amid the immense luxury and power he would come to possess.</li><li>That's the kind of deep reading and study we need to cultivate as well, which is why we're reading just one thought a day instead of a book at a time. So we can take the time to read attentively and deeply.</li></ul>

Push For Deep Understanding - Day 171

<ul><li>All things die. Not just people but companies, kingdoms, religions, and ideas - eventually. The Roman republic lasted 450 years. The Roman Empire lasted 500 years. The longest recorded life of a human being is 122 years. </li><li>The average life expectancy in the United States is over seventy-eight. In other countries and eras, it has been more and it has been less. But in the end, we all succumb, as Marcus said, to the rhythm of events-of which there is always a final, determined beat. There is no need to dwell on this fact, but there is no point in ignoring it either. </li></ul>

The Beat Goes On - Day 128

<ul><li>Our reaction is what actually decides whether harm has occurred. If we feel that we've been wronged and get angry, of course, that's how it will seem. If we raise our voice because we feel we're being confronted, naturally a confrontation will ensue.</li><li>But if we retain control of ourselves, we decide whether to label something good or bad. In fact, if that same event happened to us at different points in our lifetime, we might have very different reactions. So why not choose now to not apply these labels? Why not choose not to react?</li></ul>

The Real Source Of Harm - Day 201

<ul><li>Most teenagers put in half-hearted, lazy efforts which give them a ready-made excuse: "It doesn't matter. I wasn't even trying."</li><li>As we grow older, failure is not inconsequential anymore. What's at stake is not some grade or sports trophy, but the quality of your life and your ability to deal with the world around you.</li><li>Don't let that intimidate you, though. You have the best teachers in the world: the wisest philosophers who ever lived. And not only you are capable, but the professor is also asking for something very simple: just begin the work. The rest follows.</li></ul>

Reboot The Real Work - Day 164

<ul><li>When walking towards the New York City Public Library, you'll pass the "Library Way" which holds the names of so many important people.</li><li>How many of these people have we even heard of? The people involved in the story of the library were the most famous men of that time, rich beyond imagination in some cases. </li><li>Even along "Library Way", many of the famous authors are unfamiliar to the modern reader. They are all long gone, as are the people who remembered them. </li><li>All of us, including Marcus - who is passed over by just as many unaware pedistrians - last for just a day, at most. </li></ul>

On Being Remembered - Day 144

"An old man has no other evidence besides age to prove that he has lived a long life" - Seneca<ul><li>One day, our hours will begin to run out. It would be nice to be able to say: "Hey I really made the most of it." Not in the form of achievements, not money, not status - you know what the Stoics think of all that - but in wisdom, insight, and real progress in the things that all humans struggle against. </li><li>What if you could say that you really made something of this time that you had? What if you could prove that you really did live [insert number] years? And not just lived them, but lived them fully? </li></ul>

What Do You Have To Show For Your Years - Day 137

<ul><li>Today you won't control the external events that happen. Is that scary? A little, but it's balanced when we see that we can control our opinion about those events. You decide whether they're good or bad, fair or unfair. You don't control the situation, but you control what you think about it.</li><li>Best of all, an honest understanding of what is within our control provides real clarity about the world: all we have is our own mind. Remember that today when you try to extend your reach outward - that it's much better and more appropriately directed inward.</li></ul>

What We Control And What We Don't - Day 156

<ul><li>A worker is asked: "Why did you do it this way?" The answer is, "Because that's the way we've always done things." The worker has stopped thinking and is mindlessly operating out of habit. The worker will probably get fired by any thinking boss.</li><li>We should apply the same ruthlessness to our own habits. In fact, we are studying philosophy precisely to break ourselves into rote behavior. Find what you do out of rote memory or routine. Ask yourself: Is this really the best way to do it? Know why you do what you do - do it for the right reasons.</li></ul>

Never Do Anything Out Of Habit - Day 163

Let's get into the tasks:<ol><li>Choice - to do and think right</li><li>Refusal - of temptation</li><li>Yearning - to be better</li><li>Repulsion - of negativity, of bad influences, of what isn't true</li><li>Preparation - for what lies ahead or whatever may happen</li><li>Purpose - our guiding principle and highest priority</li><li>Assent - to be free of deception about what's inside and outside our control (and be ready to accept the latter)</li></ol>This is what the mind is here to do. We must make sure that it does - and see everything else as pollution or a corruption.

Seven Clear Functions Of The Mind - Day 154

<ul><li>Some of the most powerful and important people in the world seem to have almost no self-awareness. We can be guilty of the same sin. </li><li>We ignore Socrates's dictum to "know thyself" - often realizing we have done so at our peril, years later, when we wake up one day and realize how rarely we have asked ourselves questions like: Who am I? What's important to me? What do I like? What do I need? </li><li>Now - right now - you have the time to explore yourself, to understand your own mind and body. Don't wait. Know yourself. Before it's impossibly late. </li></ul>

Know Thyself - Before It's Too Late - Day 133

<ul><li>The amount of matter in the universe is immense - on the order of trillions of atoms. What percentage of that matter does one human body constitute? Of the earth's 4.6 billion years of age, our time on earth? Several decades, maybe? </li><li>Sometimes we need to have the facts and figures spelled out in front of us to fully realize the scale at which humans happens to exist in the big scheme of things. </li><li>Consider this the next time you feel self-important, or like everything rise and falls on what you do next. You're just one person among many, doing your best among many. That's all you need to do. </li></ul>

Human Scale - Day 135

<ul><li>In the morning, remind yourself of what is in your control and what's not.</li><li>Before lunch, remind yourself that the only thing you truly possess is your ability to make choices.</li><li>In the afternoon, remind yourself that aside from the choices, your fate is not entirely up to you.</li><li>In the evening, remind yourself again how much is outside of your control and where your choices begin and end.</li><li>As you lie in bed, remember that sleep is a form of surrender and trust and how easily it comes. And prepare to start the whole cycle over again tomorrow.</li></ul>

The One Path To Serenity - Day 159

<ul><li>At 5'-3" tall, Muggsy Bogues was the shortest player to play professional basketball. Against all odds, he succeeded. He saw his height as his strength when others saw it as his weakness. In fact, small size has many advantages: speed and quickness, ability to steal the ball from unsuspecting players, to say nothing of the fact that players just underestimated him.</li><li>Could this approach not be useful in your life? What things do you think have been holding you back that, in fact, can be a hidden source of strength?</li></ul>

Anything can be an advantage - Day 10

"You know what wine and liqueur tastes like. It makes no difference whether a hundred or a thousand bottles pass through your bladder." Senca <ul><li>As fun and exciting pleasures are, it's worth putting them in their place. You don't get a prize at the end of your life for having consumed more, worked more, spent more, collected more, or learned more about the various vintages than everyone else. You are just a conduit,a vessel that temporarily held or interacted with these fancy items. </li><li>If you find yourself lusting over them, this might help reduce their luster just a smidge. </li></ul>

Meaningless... Like A Fine Wine - Day 140

<ul><li>The Stoics didn't think that anyone could be perfect. The idea of becoming a sage - the highest aspiration of a philosopher - wasn't realistic. </li><li>Still, they started every day hoping to get a little closer to that mark. There was much to gain in the trying. </li><li>Can you actually live today like it is your last day? Is it even possible to embody completeness or perfection in our character, effortlessly doing the right thing for a full twenty-four hours? Is it possible for more than a minute? </li><li>Maybe not. But if trying was enough for the Stoics, it should ge enough for us too. </li></ul>

A Simple Way To Measure Our Days - Day 131

<ul><li>The Stoics seek steadiness, stability, and tranquility - traits most of us aspire to but seem to experience only fleetingly.</li><li>These can be achieved by filtering the outside world through the straightener of our judgment. That's what our reason can do - it can take the crooked, confusing, and overwhelming nature of external events and make them orderly.</li><li>If our judgments are crooked because we don't use reason, then everything that follows will be crooked and we will lose our ability to steady ourselves in the chaos and rush of life. Proper judgment is the best way to steadiness.</li></ul>

If You Want To Be Steady - Day 157

<ul><li>A powerful perspective lies in ordinary or seemingly unbeautiful events. It takes an artist's eye to see that the end of life is not unlike a ripe fruit falling from its tree.</li><li>It takes a poet to notice the way "baking bread splits in places and those cracks, while not intended in the baker's art, catches our eye and serves to stir our appetite" and find a metaphor in them.</li><li>There is clarity (and joy) in seeing what others can't see, in finding grace and harmony in places others overlook. Isn't that far better than seeing the world as some dark place?</li></ul>

See The World Like A Poet And An Artist - Day 165

<ul><li>Abraham Lincoln got fuming mad with a subordinate. Rather than taking it out on that person directly, he'd write a long letter, outlining his case why they were wrong. Then he would fold it up, put the letter in the desk drawer, and never send it.</li><li>He knew, that it was easy to fight back. It's tempting to give them a piece of your mind. But you almost always end up with regret. You almost always wish you hadn't sent that letter. Think of the last time you flew off the handle. What was the outcome? Was there any benefit?</li></ul>

To Each His Own - Day 203

<ul><li>It's easy to blame our circumstances. One person curses that they weren't born taller, another that they're not smarter, with a different complexion, or born in a different country. It'd be hard to find a single person - who doesn't think they're deficient in atleast some way. </li><li>But there are positive qualities that you can develop that don't depend on genetic accents. You have the choice to, be truthful, dignified, endure, be happy, be free, avoid trafficking in gossip, be gracious. </li><li>And honestly, aren't the traits that are the result of effort and skill more impressive anyway? </li></ul>

Show The Qualities You Were Made For - Day 78

"Dig deep within yourself, for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging." - Marcus Aurelius <ul><li>Today, we could hope that goodness comes our way - good news, good weather, good luck. Or we could find it ourselves, in ourselves. Goodness isn't something that's going to be delivered by mail. You have to dig it up inside your own soul. You find it within your own thoughts, and you make it with your own actions. </li></ul>

The Fountain Of Goodness - Day 79

<ul><li>You have two essential tasks in life: to be a good person and to pursue the occupation that you love. Everything else is a waste of energy. </li><li>How does one do that? Stoics makes it simple enough: say no to distractions, to destructive emotions, to outside pressure. Ask yourself: What is it that only I can do? Try to do the right thing when situation calls for it. Treat other people the way you would hope to be treated. And understand that every small choice and tiny matter is an opportunity to practice these principles.</li><li>That's it. That's what goes into the most important skill of all: how to live </li></ul>

Two Tasks - Day 80

<ul><li>Hope is generally regarded as good. Fear is generally regarded as bad. To a Stoic, they are the same - both are projections into the future about things we do not control. Both are enemy of this present moment that you are actually in. Both mean you're living a life in opposition to amor fati. </li><li>It's not about overcoming our fears but understanding that both hope and fear contain a dangerous amount of want and worry in them. And, sadly, the want is what causes the worry. </li></ul>

Hope And Fear Are The Same - Day 102

<ul><li>We could look at the upcoming day and despair at all the things we don't control: other people, our health, the outcome of a project once it leaves our hands. </li><li>Or we could look out at that very same day and rejoice at the one thing we do control: the ability to decide what any event means. </li><li>The second option offers the ultimate power-a true and fair form of control. While you don't control external events, you retain the ability to decide how you respond to those events. </li><li>This includes the difficult one in front of you now. You'll find, if you approach it right, that this trump card is plenty. </li></ul>

You Hold The Trump Card - Day 53

<ul><li>Socrates used to say that "nobody does wrong willingly." Meaning that no one is wrong on purpose either. Nobody thinks they're wrong, even when they are. They think they're right, they're just mistaken. Otherwise, they wouldn't think it anymore.</li><li>How much more tolerant and understanding would you be today if you could see the actions of other people as attempts to do the right thing? Whether you agree or not, how radically would this lens change your perspective on otherwise offensive or belligerent actions?</li></ul>

Seeing Things As The Person At Fault Does - Day 217

"If the breaking day sees someone proud, the ending day sees them brought low. No one should put too much trust in triumph, No one should give up hope of trails improving. God mixes one with the other and stops fortune from resting, spinning every fate around. No one has has so much divine favor that they could guarantee themselves tomorrow. God keeps our lives hurtling on, spinning in a whirlwind"-Seneca<ul><li>No amount of prosperity, no amount of difficulty, is certain or forever. A triumph becomes a trial, a trail becomes a triumph. Life can change in an instant. Remember, how often it does today.</li></ul>

Someone Else Is Spinning The Thread - Day 92

<ul><li>This can be swiftly taught in very few words: virtue is the only good; there is no certain good without virtue; and virtue resides in our nobler part. </li><li>And what this virtue can be? True and steadfast judgement. For from this will arise every mental impulse, and by it every appearance that spurs our impulses will be rendered clear. </li><li>You become the sum of your actions, and as you do, what flows from that - your impulses - reflect the actions you've taken. Choose wisely! </li></ul>

The Supreme Court Of Your Mind - Day 9

<ul><li>One of the striking things about history is just how long human beings have been doing what they do - living, dying, loving, fighting, crying and laughing. </li><li>Popular books perpetuate the belief that, things are really different now. This irony is that people have believed that for centuries. </li><li>Strong people resist this notion. They know, things are the same as they've always been and always will be. You're just like the people who came before you, and you're but a brief stopover until the people just like you who will come after. The earth abides forever, but we will come and go. </li></ul>

Always The Same - Day 96

If you start something and right away feel yourself getting lazy and irritated, first ask yourself: Why am I doing this? If it really is a necessity, ask yourself: Whats behind my reluctance? Fear? Spite? Fatigue?Don't forge ahead hoping that someone will relieve you or someone will explain you why what you're doing matters. Don't be the person who says yes with their mouth but no with their actions. Quality is much better than quantity.

When You Feel Lazy - Day 24

<ul><li>A Zen master who had a beautiful cup would repeat to himself, "The glass is already broken." He enjoyed the cup and used it, but in his mind it was already broken. And so one day when it actually did break, he said, "Of course."</li><li>Devastation - that feeling of shock - is a factor of how unlikely we considered the event. No one is wrecked by the fact that it's snowing in the winter, because we've accepted (and even anticipated) this turn of events. What about the occurrences that surprise us? We might not be so shocked if we took the time to consider their possibility. </li></ul>

The Glass Is Already Broken - Day 108

<ul><li>The mind is a muscle, and like the rest, it can be strained, overworked, even injured. Our physical health is also worn down by overcommitment, a lack of rest, and bad habits. Remember John Henry - the man who challenged the machine? He died of exhaustion at the end. Don't forget that. </li><li>Today, you may face things that try your patience, require considerable focus or clarity, or demand creative breakthroughs. Life is a long haul - it will mean many such moments. Are you going to be able to handle them if you've burned the candle at both ends? If you've been abusing and overworking your body? </li></ul>

Don't Burn The Candle At Both Ends - Day 141

<ul><li>Alexandria, the city in Egypt, still bears the name of its founder, Alexander the Great. How cool it would feel to have a city named after you? </li><li>Here's a thought: it wouldn't be cool. Because like Alexander, you'll be dead. You'll have no idea whether your name lasted down through centuries. </li><li>Instead of wasting even a second considering opinions of future people - focus every bit of yourself on being the best person you can be in the present moment. On doing the right thing, right now. The distant future is irrelevant. Be good and noble and impressive now - while it still matters. </li></ul>

Heroes Here And Now - Day 76

<ul><li>Is the ship of Theseus the same ship after every wooden plank of it is replaced or is it a new one? </li><li>In Japan a Shinto shrine is rebuilt every 23 years. Is it one shrine, 1400 years old? Or sixty consecutive shrines? </li><li>Our understanding of what something is, is just a snapshot - an ephemeral opinion. The universe is in a constant state of change. Our nails grow and are cut and keep growing. New skin replaces dead skin. Old memories are replaced by new. Are we still the same people? Are the people around us the same? Nothing is exempt from this fluidity, not even the things we hold most sacred. </li></ul>

All Is Fluid - Day 95

From the team that brought you The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, a beautiful daily devotional of Stoic meditations—an instant Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller. Why have history's greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today's top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you'll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you'll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.

The Daily Stoic

<ul><li>Take a look at some of the powerful, rich people. Look at what success has cost them. Mostly? Freedom.</li><li>Their work demands they wear a suit. It will require - inevitably - realizing they are unable to say what they actually think. Worse, it demands that they become a different person.</li><li>Sure, it might pay well - but they haven't truly examined the transaction. As Seneca put it, "Slavery resides under marble and gold." Too many successful people are prisoners in jails of their own making. Is that what you want? Is that what you're working hard toward? Let's hope not.</li></ul>

Living Without Restriction - Day 216

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Accurate Self-Assessment - Day 207