When we hit our lowest point we're open to the greatest change 👣

Spiritual Self 

Accept the fact 

Madhumidha Arul on Oct 28

Wherever a person can live, there one can also live well;<ul><li>Abraham Lincoln is the most renowned politician of his time. Even at a profession like that, he was able to be compassionate, humble, open-minded and purposeful.</li><li>Principles and pragmatism are not at odds. Whether you live in the white house or in a jail or in a closed-minded small town, you can live well if you choose to. Plenty of other have! It's your principles that govern your way of life.</li></ul>

Pragmatic and Principled - Day 1

Do now what nature demands of you. Get right to it if that's in your power. Don't wait for the perfect timing.<ul><li>There is plenty that you could do right now, today, plenty of small steps, were you to take them, would help move things forward.</li><li>Don't excuse yourself from doing them because the conditions aren't right or because a better opportunity might come along soon. Do what you can, now!</li><li>And when you've done it, don't overblow the results and always keep it in perspective. Shun both excuse and ego, before and after.</li></ul>

Start where the world is - Day 2

Don't tell yourself anything more than what the initial impressions report.<ul><li>It's been reported to you that someone is speaking badly about you. This is the report - the report wasn't that you've been harmed. I see that my son is sick - but not that his life is at risk.</li><li>So always stay within your first impressions, and don't add to them in your head - this way nothing can happen to you.</li><li>As Nietzsche put it, "to stop courageously at the surface" and see things in plain objective form.</li></ul>

Stick with just the facts - Day 3

We don't abandon our pursuits because we dispair of ever perfecting them. <ul><li>Psychologists speak of cognitive distortions - exaggerated thoughts which include </li></ul><ol><li>If you're not with me, you're against me. </li><li>Because this wasn't a complete success, it is a total failure </li></ol><ul><li>This sort of extreme thinking is associated with depression and frustration. Perfection rarely begets perfection - only disappointment. </li><li>We're never going to be perfect. We're human after all. Our pursuits should be aimed at progress, however little that it's possible for us to make. </li></ul>

Perfection is the enemy of Action - Day 4

When the problem arose for us whether habit or theory was better for getting virtue - Musonius thought habit to be more effective. <ul><li>There is no time to chop logic over whether our theories are correct. We are dealing with the real world here. What matters is how you're going to deal with this situation right in front of you and whether you're going to able to move past it. </li><li>Although theories are clean and simple, situations rarely are! </li></ul>

No Time For Theories, just Results - Day 5

How can people prove their words to be their own - by putting into practice what they've been preaching. <ul><li>There was a lot of borrowing among the philosophers. That's because they weren't concerned with authorship. More important, they believed that what was said mattered less than what was done. </li><li>You're welcome to take all of the words, feel free to tweak and edit and improve. Adapt them to the real conditions and put them into practice. Speak with your actions more than anything else. </li></ul>

Make the Words Your Own - Day - 6

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

<ul><li>Philosophy isn't a parlor trick or made for show. It's concerned with facts that shapes and builds up the soul, gives order to life, guides action, shows what should and shouldn't be done - it sits at the rudder steering our course as we cruise through uncertainties. </li><li>The idea of idly discussing some issue - of believing or arguing two contradictory ideas - is an absurd waste of time, energy and belief. Philosophy is not a fun trick. It's for use - for life. </li></ul>

This Isn't For Fun; It's For Life - Day 8

<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>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

<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>A good person is invincible, for they don't rush into contests in which they aren't the strongest. You will never compel what they set out for, nor trap them in what they would avoid. How can such a person not be invincible? </li><li>Don't try to beat the opponent where they are strongest. That's what we try to do when we are put on the spot. Or we say yes to everything that comes our way. </li><li>Discretion is the better part of valour. Think hard before choosing, and make yourself unbeatable. </li></ul>

Only Fools Rush In! - Day 12

<ul><li>Since the vast majority of our words &amp; actions are unnecessary, confining them will create an abundance of leisure &amp; tranquility. We must also confine unnecessary thoughts, too, so needless acts don't tag along after them. </li><li>What vanity obligates us to do, what greed signs us up for, what ill discipline adds to our plate, what a lack of courage prevents us from saying no to. All of this we must cut, cut, cut. </li></ul>

Confining The Unnecessary - Day 13

Inwardly, we ought to be different in every respect, but our outward appearance should blend in with the crowd. <ul><li>Diogenes the cynic was a controversial philosopher who wandered the streets like a homeless person. It's tempting to take philosophy to the extremes, but who does it serve? </li><li>Outward transformation - in our clothes, cars and in our grooming - might feel important but it's superficial compared with the inward change. That's the change that only we know about! </li></ul>

Where It Counts - Day 14

<ul><li>The way we nervously worry about some looming bad news is strange. By definition, the waiting means it hasn't happened yet so that feeling bad in advance is totally voluntary. </li><li>The pragmatist, is too busy to waste time on such silliness. Think about it. Best case scenario - if the news turns out better than expected, all this time wasted in fear. Worst case scenario - we were miserable for extra time, by choice. </li><li>Let the news come in when it does. Be too busy working to care. </li></ul>

Don't Be Miserable In Advance - Day 15

<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

<ul><li>It's most easy to prove that so-called pleasures, when they go beyond proper measure, are but punishments. </li><li>Stoics don't say, "Stop doing this, it's a sin." Instead they say, "Don't do this because it will make you miserable. They don't say," Pleasure isn't pleasurable." They say," Endless pleasure becomes it's own form of punishment."</li><li>Its not that this or that is bad, it's that it is in their best interest to do it in a different way. </li></ul>

It's In Your Self-Interest - Day 17

"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>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

<ul><li>I was shipwrecked before I even boarded... the journey showed me this - how much of what we have is unnecessary, and how easily we can decide to rid ourselves of these things whenever it's necessary, never suffering the loss. - Seneca</li><li>The stoics weren't being hypothetical when they said we ought to ACT with a reverse clause and that even the most unfortunate events can turn out to be for the best. The entire philosophy is founded on that idea! </li></ul>

Seeking Out Shipwrecks - Day 20

<ul><li>Heraclitus would shed tears whenever he went out in public - Democritus laughed. One saw the whole as a paradise of miseries, the other of follies. And so, we should take a lighter view of things and bear them with an easy spirit, for it is more human to laugh at life than to lament it. </li><li>Like Democritus, we can make that same choice. There is more humor than hate to be found in just about every situation. And at least humor is productive - making things less heavy, not more so. </li></ul>

Laugh, Or Cry? - Day 21

<ul><li>The founder of the universe, who assigned us to the laws of life, provided that we should live well, but not in luxury. Everything needed for our well-being is right before us, whereas what luxuries requires is gathered by many miseries and anxieties. This is the pragmatic instead of the moralistic approach to wealth. </li><li>There is no rule that says financial success must mean that you live beyond your means. Remember: humans can be happy with very little. </li></ul>

The Opulent Stoic - Day 22

<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

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

No one does wrong on purpose.<ul><li>The clearest proof of that hypothesis? All the time we did wrong without malice or intention. Remember them? The rude behaviour because we haven't spelt in two days. The time you acted on bad information, got carried away, forgot, didn't understand. The list goes on and on. </li><li>This is why it is important not to brand off people as enemies. Be as forgiving of them as you are of yourself. It may work wonders in your relationships. </li></ul>

Consider Your Failings Too - Day 25

<ul><li>Cato the younger had enough money to dress in fine clothing. Yet he often walked around Rome barefoot. He chose this way because he was training his soul to be strong and resilient. He was learning indifference: an attitude of "let come what may" that would serve him well. </li><li>His training prepared him for any conditions, any kind of luck. If we undergo our own training and preparations, we might find ourselves similarly strengthened. </li></ul>

A Strong Soul Is Better Than Good Luck - Day 26

<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

<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

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<ul><li>There's a benefit for so-called misfortune. Having experienced and survived it, we walk away with a better understanding of our own capacity and inner strength. </li><li>So today if things look like they might take a bad turn, why worry? This might be one of those formative experiences you will be grateful for later. </li></ul>

How Can You Know Whether You've Never Been Tested - Day 29

<ul><li>Remember, then, if you deem what is by nature slavish to be free, and what is not your own to be yours, you will be shackled and miserable, blaming both gods and other people. </li><li>But if you deem as your own only what is yours, and what belongs to others as truly not yours, then no one will ever be able to coerce or to stop you, you will find no one to blame or accuse you, you will do nothing against your will, you will have no enemy, no one will harm you, because no harm can affect you. </li></ul>

Focus On What Is Yours Alone - Day 30

"You can bind up my leg, but not even Zeus has the power to break my freedom of choice." - Epictetus<ul><li>Great men like Epictetus, Stockdale, McCain etc., where put under chains. </li><li>None of these men broke. No one could make them sacrifice their principles. That's the thing - someone can throw you in chains, but they don't have the power to change who you are. Even under the worst torchur and cruelties that humans can inflict on one another, our power over our own mind and our power to make our own decisions can't be broken - only relinquished. </li></ul>

They Can Throw You In Chains, But... - Day 31

"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

"No one is crushed by fortune, unless they are first deceived by her... those who aren't pompous in good times, don't have their bubbles burst with change. Against either circumstance, the stable person keeps their rational soul invincible, for it's precisely in the good times they prove their strength against adversity." - Seneca

Do Not Be Deceived By Fortune - Day 33

"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

"Here's a lesson to test your mind's mettle: take part of a week in which you have only the most meager and cheap food, and ask yourself if this is really the worst that you feared. It is when times are good that you should gird yourself for tougher times ahead, for when fortune is kind the soul can build defenses against her ravages. So it is that soldiers practice maneuvers in peacetime, erecting bunkers with no enemies in sight and exhausting themselves under no attack so that when it comes they won't grow tired." - Seneca

Preparing On The Sunny Day - Day 35

<ul><li>At any moment, we may be toppled from our perch and made to do with less - less money, less recognition, less access, less resources. Even the "less-es" that come with age: less mobility, less energy, less freedom. But we can prepare for that, in some way by familiarizing ourselves with what that might feel like. </li><li>One way to protect yourself from the swings of fate - and from the emotional vertigo that can result - is by living within your means now. So today, we can try to get used to having and surviving on less so that if we are ever forced to have less, it would not be so bad. </li></ul>

What Would Less Look Like? - Day 36

<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>The stoics give us a marvelous concept: the Inner Citadel. It is this fortress, they believed, that protects our soul. Though we might be physically vulnerable, our inner domain is impenetrable. </li><li>But history teaches us that impenetrable fortress can still be breached, if betrayed from the inside. The citizen inside the walls - if they fall prey to fear or greed - can open the gates and let the enemy in. </li><li>This is what many of us do when we lose our nerve and give in to fear. You've been granted a strong fortress. Don't betray it. </li></ul>

Protecting Our Inner Fortress From Fear - Day 38

Try praying differently, and see what happens: instead of a 'way to get rid of him,' try asking for 'a way to not crave his demise.' <ul><li>Prayer has a religious connotation, but in life we all find ourselves hoping and asking for things. </li><li>We want divine intervention so that our lives will magically be easier. But what about asking for fortitude and strength so you can do what you need to do? What if you sought clarity on what you do control, what is already within your power? You might find your prayers have already been answered. </li></ul>

A Different Way To Pray - Day 39

<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>Anyone can get lucky. There's no skill in being oblivious, and no one would consider that greatness. </li><li>On the other hand, the person who perseveres through difficulties, who makes it to their destination through hard work and honesty? That's admirable because their survival was a result of fortitude and resilience, not birth right and circumstance. </li><li>A person who overcame not just the external obstacles to success but mastered themselves and their emotions along the way? That's much more impressive. </li><li>The person who has been dealt a harder hand, understood it, but still triumphed? That's greatness. </li></ul>

Anyone Can Get Lucky, But Not Everyone Can Persevere - Day 41

<ul><li>When someone has a strong opinion about something, it usually says more about them than whatever or whomever the opinion happens to be. This is especially true when it comes to resentment and hatred of other people. </li><li>A Stoic does two things. They ask: Is this opinion inside my control? If there is a chance for influence or change, they take it. But if there isn't, they accept this person as they are (and never hate a hater). </li><li>Our job is tough enough already. We don't have time to think about what other people are thinking, even if it's about us. </li></ul>

Dealing With Haters - Day 42

<ul><li>Whenever you suffer pain, keep in mind that it's nothing to be ashamed of and that it can't degrade your guiding intelligence, nor keep it from acting rationally and for the common good. </li><li>By the saying of Epicurus, that pain is never unbearable or unending, so you can remember these limits and not add to them in your imagination. </li><li>Remember too that many common annoyances are pain in disguise, such as sleeplessness, fever and loss of appetite. When they start to get you down, tell yourself you are giving in to pain. </li></ul>

Dealing With Pain - Day 43

<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

<ul><li>Dancing is a popular metophor for life. One must go along with the music, feel and follow and flow with the partner. But the fact is nobody ever gets up on stage and tries to tackle a dancer. The dancer never gets choked out by a rival. </li><li>For a wrestler, on the other hand, adversity and the unexpected are part and parcel of what they do. Their sport is battle, just like life. They are fighting their opponent as well as their own limitations, emotions, etc. </li><li>Life, like wrestling, requires more than graceful movement. We have to undergo hard training and cultivate an indomitable will to prevail. </li></ul>

Life Isn't A Dance - Day 45

<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>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 mind freed from passions is an impenetrable fortress - a person has no more secure place of refuge for all time. When we repeat an action so often it becomes unconscious behaviour, we can default to it without thinking. </li><li>Proper training can change your default habits. Train yourself not to get angry, and you won't be angry for minor reasons often. Train yourself on any habit, and you'll be able to unconsciously go to that habit in trying times. </li><li>Think about which behavior you'd like to be able to default to if you could. How many of them have you practised only once? Let today be twice. </li></ul>

The Most Secure Fortress - Day 48

"Being unexpected adds to the weight of a disaster, and being a surprise has never failed to increase a person's pain. For that reason, nothing should ever be unexpected by us. Our minds should be sent out in advance to all things and we shouldn't just consider the normal course of things, but what could actually happen. For is there anything in life that Fortune won't knock off its high horse if it pleases her?" - SenecaWe must prepare in our minds for the possibility of extreme reversals of fate. The next time you make a charity donation, consider that one day you may need charity yourself.

It Could Happen To You - Day 49

<ul><li>We're all addicts in one way or another. We're addicted to our routines, to our coffee, to our comfort, to someone else's approval. These dependencies mean we're not in control of our own lives - the dependency is. </li><li>Our routines can be disrupted, the doctor can forbid us from drinking coffee, we can be thrust into uncomfortable situations. That is why we must strengthen ourselves by testing these discrepancies before they become too great. </li><li>Make yourself invulnerable to your dependency on comfort and convenience, or one day your vulnerability might bring you to your knees. </li></ul>

The Vulnerability Of Dependence - Day 50

<ul><li>You deserve a vacation. You work hard. You sacrifice. You push yourself. It's time for a break. Hop a plane, check into a hotel, and head to the beach - but tuck a book under your arm. Make sure you enjoy your relaxation like a poet - not idly but actively, observing the world around you, better understanding your place in the universe. </li><li>Maybe your goal is to make enough money so that you can retire early. Good for you! But the purpose of retirement is not to live a life of indolence or to run out the clock, as easy as that might be to do. That is not life. It's not freedom either. </li></ul>

What Time Off Is For - Day 51

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

<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>It can be beneficial to reflect on what you used to accept as normal! Consider your first paycheck - how big it seemed then. Today, as you've become more successful, these conditions would hardly feel sufficient. In fact, you want even more than what you have now. Yet a few years ago those small you had, they felt great. </li><li>Remember today that you'd be okay if things suddenly went wrong. Your actual needs are small. There is very little that could happen that can truly threaten your survival. Think about that - and adjust your worries and fears accordingly. </li></ul>

Your Actual Needs Are Small - Day 54

<ul><li>Rubin Carter, the boxér was wrongly convicted of homicide and spent nearly 20 years in prison. He would say, "I don't acknowledge the existence of the prison. It doesn't exist for me." Of course the prison existed, and he was inside it. But he refused to let his mind be contained by it. </li><li>That's the power that you have too, in the midst of any and every kind of adversity, it is there. No matter what's happening to your body, no matter what the outside world inflicts on you, your mind can remain philosophical. It's still yours. It's untouchable - and in a way, then, so are you. </li></ul>

You Can't Touch Me - Day 55

"Doesn't the light of a lamp shine and keep its glow until its fuel is spent? Why shouldn't your truth, justice, and self-control shine until you are extinguished?" - Marcus Aurelius Seneca writes that, "we mortals are lighted and extinguished." Whether the wick of your lamp is being lit for the first time, after a long period of darkness, or even right before the proverbial big sleep, it makes no difference. Here is where you are right now, and it's as good a place as any to let virtue shine and continue to shine for as long as you exist.

Let Virtue Shine Bright - Day 56

"But the wise person can lose nothing. Such a person has everything stored up for themselves because they invest well" - Seneca<ul><li>Some people put their money in assets - stocks, bonds, property. Others invest in relationships or accomplishments, knowing that they can draw on these things just as easily as others can draw funds from a bank account. But a third type, Seneca says, invests in themselves - in being a good and wise person. </li><li>Which of these assets is most immune to market fluctuations and disasters? Which is most resilient during trials and tribulations? Which will never abandon you? </li></ul>

The Most Valuable Asset - Day 57

"Meditate often on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe. For in a sense, all things are mutually woven together and therefore have an affinity for each other - for one thing follows after another according to their tension of movement, their sympathetic stirrings, and the unity of all substance." - Marcus Aurelius <ul><li>Over and over again, the stoics reminded themselves of the interconnectedness in life. Today, take a moment to remember that we are woven together and that each of us plays a role (good, bad and or ugly) in this world. </li></ul>

A Mantra Of Mutual Independence - Day 58

"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

"Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue." - Zeno<ul><li>You can always get up after you fall, but remember, what has been said can never be unsaid. Especially cruel and hurtful things. </li><li>So it's always better to think twice before you say something which makes you regret a lifetime. Cruel words are like double-edged swords. It's going to hurt both sides. Choose wisely. </li></ul>

Words Can't Be Unsaid - Day 60

<ul><li>Watching other people succeed is one of the toughest things to do - especially if we are not doing well ourselves. In our hunter-gatherer minds, we suspect that life is a zero-sum game - that for someone to have more, means that we might end up less. </li><li>But like all parts of philosophy, empathy and selflessness are a matter of practice. The stoics teach themselves to actively cheer for other people - even in cases where that might come at their own expense - and to put aside jealousy and possessivess. You can do that too. </li></ul>

Looking Out For Each Other - Day 61

"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

"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

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

"Leave the past behind, let the grand design take care of the future, and instead only rightly guide the present to révérence and justice. Révérence so that you'll love what you've been allotted, for nature brought you both to each other. Justice so that you'll speak the truth freely and without evasion, and so that you'll act only as the law and value of things require." - Marcus Aurelius <ul><li>Two words for life: persist and resist. But what principles should determine what we persist in and what we ought to resist? Marcus supplies that answer: reverence and justice. In other words, virtue. </li></ul>

Révérence And Justice - Day 65

<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

"Hecato says, 'I can teach you a love potion made without any drugs, herbs or special spell - if you would be loved, love." - Seneca<ul><li>Love. Love. Love. Why? Because, as the Beatles put it, "In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Not just in politics, not just in tolerance, but in our personal lives. </li><li>There is almost no situation in which hatred helps. Yet almost every situation is made better by love - or empathy, understanding, appreciation - even situations in which you are in opposition to someone. </li><li>And who knows, you might just get some of that love back. </li></ul>

Always Love - Day 67

<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

<ul><li>The person sitting next to you on the plane, the one who is loudly chattering and knocking around in your space? In these situations, you might feel it takes everything you have to restrain yourself from murdering them. </li><li>It's funny how that thought comes into our heads before, you know, politely asking them to stop, or making a minor scene of asking for a different seat. We don't just want people to be better, we expect it to magically happen, that we can simply will other people to change, with our angry stare. </li><li>Although when you think about it, it makes you wonder who the rude one actually is.</li></ul>

Don't Get Mad, Help - Day 69

<ul><li>A virtuous person does not jump to hasty judgements about other people. A virtuous person is generous with assumptions: that something was an accident, that someone didn't know, that it won't happen again. This makes life easier to bear and makes us more tolerant. Meanwhile, assuming malice - the most hasty of judgements - makes everything harder to bear.&nbsp;</li><li>Be deliberate and accommodating with your assumptions about other people and you'll find, as Marcus says, calmer dead and fairer weather.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Give People The Benefit Of The Doubt - Day 70

<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>The first person you meet today - passing acquaintance or friend - no matter the context - positive or negative - is an opportunity for kindness. For both of you. You can seek to understand who they are, and what forces might be acting on them. And you can treat them well and be better off for it. </li><li>The same is true with the second person you encounter, and the third. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will return the favor, but that's not our concern. As always, we're going to focus on what we control: in this case, the ability to choose to respond with kindness. </li></ul>

The Benefit of Kindness - Day 72

<ul><li>It's pretty obvious that one should keep away from the wicked and two-faced as much as possible. Marcus is reminding us to avoid false friends.</li><li>But what if we turn it around? We've all been frenemy at one point or another. We've been nice to their face - usually because there was something in it for us - but later, in different company, we said how we really felt. Ore we've strung someone along, cared only when things were going well, or declined to help even though someone needed us.</li><li>This behaviour is beneath us - and worth remembering the next time we accuse someone else of being a bad friend.</li></ul>

Frenemies - Day 73

<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>What's the meaning of life? Most of us struggle with this question. Rarely do we find much in the way of direction. But that's because we miss the point. As Viktor Frankl points out, it is not our question to ask. Instead, it is we who are being asked the question. It's our lives that are the answer. </li><li>No amount of travel or reading or clever sages can tell you what you want to know. Instead, it is you who must find the answer in your actions, in living the good life - by embodying the self-evident principles of justice, self-control, courage, freedom, and abstaining from evil. </li></ul>

Marks Of The Good Life - Day 75

<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>Self-improvement is a noble pursuit. Most people don't even bother. But among those who do, it's possible for vanity and superficiality to corrupt this process. </li><li>Our will shouldn't be directed at becoming the person who is in perfect shape or who can speak multiple languages but who doesn't have a second for other people. What's the point of winning at sports but losing in the effort to be a good husband, wife, father, mother, son, or daughter? Let's not confuse getting better at stuff with being a better person. One is a much bigger priority than the other. </li></ul>

It's Easy to Get Better. But Better At What? - Day 77

<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

The best and the greatest number of authors have asserted that philosophy consists of three parts: the moral, the natural, and the rational. <ol><li>The first puts the soul in order. </li><li>The second throughly examines the natural order of things. </li><li>The third enquires into the proper meaning of words, and their arrangements and proofs which keep falsehoods from creeping in to displace truth. </li></ol>These three parts - have one aim. As different as they are, they have the same purpose: to help you live a good life ruled by reason. Not in the future, but right now.

Three Parts, One Aim - Day 81

<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

<ul><li>Philosophy attracts introverts. The study of human nature can make you aware of other people's faults and can breed contempt for others. So do struggle and difficulty - they isolate us from the world. </li><li>But none of that changed that we are, as Aristotle put it, social animals. We need each other. We must be there for each other. We must take care of each other (and to allow others to care for us in return). To pretend otherwise is to violate our nature, to be more or less than what is means to be a human being. </li></ul>

We Were Made For Each Other - Day 83

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.

Stoic Daily Meditations

The Daily Stoic

Never outshine your master.<ul><li>A master who cannot bestow on you the gifts of his experience may direct rancor and ill will at you instead</li></ul>

Law #1

Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use your enemies<ul><li>Friends are easily aroused to envy</li><li>Without enemies around us, we grow lazy. An enemy at our heels sharpens our wits, keeping us focused and alert. It is sometimes better</li><li>Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure</li><li>Work with enemies because the relationship is based on mutual self-interest, and not be contaminated by personal feelings</li></ul>

Law #2

Conceal your intentions<ul><li>By telling your plan and being honest about it makes you predictable</li><li>Bland facial expression is the simplest smoke screen to hide your thoughts</li><li>Another effective smoke screen is the pattern, the establishment of a series of actions that seduce the victim into believing you will continue in the same way. The pattern plays on the psychology of anticipation: Our behavior conforms to patterns, or so we like to think.</li></ul>

Law #3

Always say less than necessary<ul><li>The more you say, the more common you appear</li><li>"Human tongue is a beast that few can master"</li><li>Once the words are out, you cannot take them back. Keep them under control. Be particularly careful with sarcasm: The momentary satisfaction you gain with your biting words will be outweighed by the price you pay</li></ul>

Law #4

So much depends on reputation, guard it with your life. <ul><li>You must work to establish a reputation for one outstanding quality, whether generosity or honesty or cunning</li><li>If your reputation is stained, it is wise to associate with someone whose image is counteract with your own</li></ul>

Law #5

Court attention at all cost<ul><li>At the beginning of your rise to the top, then, spend all your energy on attracting attention. Most important: The quality of the attention is irrelevant</li><li>Court controversy, even scandal. It is better to be attacked, even slandered, than ignored</li><li>BUT Never appear overly greedy for attention, for it signals insecurity, and insecurity drives power away</li></ul>

Law #6

Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit<ul><li>Kissinger played the game expertly: He took credit for the work of those below him while graciously giving credit for his own labors to those above</li><li>Never do yourself what others can do for you</li></ul>

Law #7 

Make other come to you use bait if neccessary<ul><li>The essence of power is the ability to keep the initiative, to get others to react to your moves, to keep your opponent and those around you on the defensive</li><li>You yourself must learn to master your emotions, and never to be influenced by anger; meanwhile, however, you must play on people's natural tendency to react angrily when pushed and baited</li></ul>

Law #8

Win through your actions, never through argument<ul><li>Each man believes that he is right, and words will rarely convince him otherwise</li><li>Demonstrate, do not explicate</li></ul>

Law #9

Infection: avoid the unhappy and unlucky<ul><li>Recognize the fortunate so that you may choose their company, and the unfortunate so that you may avoid them</li><li>Those misfortunates among us who were brought down by circumstances beyond their control deserve all the help and sympathy we can give them</li><li>But there are others who are not born to misfortune or unhappiness, but who draw it upon themselves by their destructive actions and unsettling effect on others. Avoid this kind of person immediately</li></ul>

Law #10

Learn to keep people dependant on you<ul><li>Such is the fate of those who do not make others dependent on them. Sooner or later someone come along who can do the job as well as them; someone younger, fresher, less expensive, less threatening</li><li>Be the only one who can do what you do, and make the fate of those who hire you so entwined with yours that they cannot get rid of you</li><li>Better make others depends on you out of fear of consequences of losing you than out of love of your company</li></ul>

Law #11

Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim<ul><li>Give before you take</li><li>A gift brings out the child in us, instantly lowering our defenses</li><li>Selective kindness will often break down even the most stubborn foe: Aiming right for the heart, it corrodes the will to fight back</li><li>As with any emotional approach, the tactic must be practiced with caution: If people see through it, their disappointed feelings of gratitude and warmth will become the most violent hatred and distrust</li></ul>

Law #12

When asking for help, appeal to people's self-interest, never to their mercy or gratitude<ul><li>If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds</li><li>Every person you deal with is like another culture, an alien land with a past that has nothing to do with yours. Yet you can bypass the differences between you and him by appealing to his self-interest</li><li>At each step on the way to acquiring power, you must train yourself to think your way inside the other person's mind</li></ul>

Law #13

Pose as a friend, work as a spy<ul><li>If you have reason to suspect that a person is telling you a lie, look as though you believed every word he said. This will give him courage to go on; he will become more vehement in his assertions, and in the end betray himself. Again, if you perceive that a person is trying to conceal something from you, but with only partial success, look as though you did not believe him. The opposition on your part will provoke him into leading out his reserve of truth and bringing the whole force of it to bear upon your incredulity.</li></ul>

Law #14

Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum. Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.

selfhelp

Spiritual Self

Madhumidha Arul on Oct 28

Pragmatic and Principled - Day 1

The Daily Stoic