You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.11 This Stoic reflection on life's impermanence is called Memento Mori, Latin for "remember you will die." It's a reminder not to take life for granted and not to waste energy…
When you hear the name Leonardo da Vinci, you probably think of painting. His masterpieces—like the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and Salvator Mundi (the most expensive painting ever sold)—are some of the most famous artworks in history. But what may surprise you is just how many other fields he…
The Stoics were big on writing, mainly as a way to collect and reflect on their thoughts. Marcus Aurelius’ famous book, Meditations, is actually just a collection of his personal notes—it was never meant for anyone else to read. Epictetus and Seneca also encouraged their students to journal regularly as…
In his book Reasons To Stay Alive, Matt Haig describes anxiety as a “full-time occupation of gale-force worry.” From personal experience, that feels accurate. Anxiety can consume entire days or weeks, leaving you regretting the time lost. You fear the future, then get stuck in the past. People often say…
For most professional athletes, turning pro is the realization of a lifelong dream. Years of dedication and sacrifice pay off the moment they sign their first contract. But for Fabio Quagliarella, becoming a professional footballer for Torino in 1999 was only the first part of his dream. The second part?…
To most people, Stoic philosophy doesn’t sound particularly exciting. It seems old, dry, and maybe like something only a tweed-wearing professor would read. But Stoicism isn’t just for scholars. Ryan Holiday discovered it at 19. Tim Ferriss found it at 27. James Stockdale read Epictetus at 39. Their experiences show…
Most of us are guilty of buying things we don’t really need. Maybe we’re tempted by a sale, thinking it’s too good to pass up. Maybe we believe a new purchase will make us feel happier. Or maybe we just want to impress others. But later, we realize the sale…
There it is—my alarm, blaring at 6:00 AM to signal the start of another day. That same shrill tone usually means something is on fire, which feels symbolic sometimes. But not today. Today, I’m ready. Ready to launch out of bed, strap on my Stoic mindset, and let life’s little…
The writer William Zinsser once wrote an article called “The News From Timbuktu” about his trip to the Malian city to witness camel caravans carrying salt across the Sahara. He was thrilled by the sight of forty camels proceeding in unison over the vast desert, but it was another incident…
When was the last time you helped someone without them knowing it was you? Maybe you made an anonymous donation to a charity or returned a lost item without leaving your name. If something like that comes to mind, you might remember the small buzz of satisfaction you felt when…