Stoicism

Wisdom | Courage | Temperance | Justice

Key stoic principles I try and practice every day:
  • Don't suffer imagined troubles.
  • Focus on what you can control.
  • You have the power to have no opinion.
  • When one is busy and absorbed in one's work, the very absorption affords great delight.

Stoicism for business/work:
  • Say no (a lot).
  • Do the more difficult thing.
  • Focus on what you can control.
  • Focus on process, not outcomes.
  • Make a little progress each day.
  • Don't be too afraid to ask for help.
  • There is always something you can do.

Key Stoic Don't Dos:

  • Don't suffer imagined troubles.
  • Don't compare yourself to others.
  • Don't have an opinion on everything.
  • Don't judge other people. You mess up too.
  • Don't talk more than you listen. Two ears, one mouth.
  • Don't be overheard complaining. Not even to yourself.
  • Don't overindulge. Life is about temperance and balance. It's about finding the right amount.
  • Don't tie your identity to things you own. Those things are fragile and can be taken from you at any moment.

Stoic one-liners that will help you beat anxiety:

  • It's not things that upset us, it's our opinion about things. - Epictetus
  • He who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than necessary. - Seneca
  • Beat anxiety: Today I escaped anxiety - no I discarded it because it was within me. - Marcus Aurelius

3 Stoic reminders for better mental health:

  1. Poverty is not having too little, it's wanting more. - Seneca
  2. It's not things that upset us, it's our opinion about things. - Epictetus
  3. Why should you be angry at the world, as if the world would notice? - Marcus Aurelius