Rituals are essential

Beliefs about events do. Bad feelings are caused by irrational beliefs, so if you’re feeling negative emotions, focus on the belief you hold about what happens. 

For stoics there is no good or bad, there’s only perception. And you control perception. 

Stoicism became popular in the Roman Empire. Slaves like Epictetus, rich people like Seneca or emperors like Marcus Aurelius found guidance for life in it.

Ignore the rest. We worry about things that we have no control over. But worrying never fixed anything. 

The stoics are saying that if you focus your energy on what you can change, you’re going to be a lot more productive and effective. 

Seneca emphasized that we are free to choose our role models and mentors. This is great for helping you be your best. So next time you face a challenge, think of someone you admire and ask yourself “What would _____ do?”