SIMPLE STOICISM AND HOW TO APPLY STOICISM IN YOUR DAILY LIFE

What is Stoicism?

Stoicism is not a religion and does not focus on morals that are right or wrong. Instead, it is an ancient philosophy that advocates:

1.)Uncomplicated theories of life

2.)Focusing on the parts of life which are useful and in your control

3.)Focusing on reducing negative self-talk

4.)Controlling emotional outbursts

5.)More of a meditative practice that changes negative feelings into thoughts that give us peacefulness and perspective on life

How To Apply Stoicism In Your Daily Life

Focus on What You Can Control In A Situation and Accept What You Cannot

Marcus Aurelius wrote: “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

This can be broken down into several elements. Firstly, you cannot control everything within a situation, but you can control your reaction to it.

In addition, in a situation do not focus on the negative element – the part of the situation that you cannot control. Instead, try to identify elements with what has happened that you can control, or search for what you can do to control the situation.

When something happens in your life, the first instinct is to rage against what has happened. Instead, realize quickly what you can do and what you cannot control. Instead of focusing on the negative emotions of the moment, your mind will be trained to see the situation in terms of what you can do to change it.

Another stoic saying says: “When you lose control, your environment determines your results” In other words, if you are not in control, then whatever is happening is. Strive to maintain that focus on what you can control.

Disruptions to serenity cannot be avoided.

One of the best-known parts of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is this:

"When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly.They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own- not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me with ugliness.”

In other words, he knew every day he would face problems. He accepted that already. If he didn’t face a problem that day, he was at least already ready for it. Mentally, he knew that whatever happened, he could control himself and deal with the issue.

In life, especially in the crazy, fast-paced world we live, bad things will happen. We must always be aware of that possibility. Once we are mentally aware that bad things can happen, when something does happen, we will not go to pieces about it. We will be able to deal with it, in control.

It is important in life Tranquillity can never be reached by avoiding or blocking out distractions or horrible events. The way to get to that tranquil place is through your choices and judgment about those events and situations.

Look Inward Daily

Stoics want to become the best versions of themselves they can. To that aim, they advocate a lot of looking inward. It’s one of their core lessons above anything else.

They suggest spending time in the morning to ask yourself questions about your life. Obviously, it can be whenever you find the time. You can ask the questions by writing them down and writing answers, or having a dialogue with yourself. Either way, the goal is to find answers to life’s bigquestions become in the context of your own life.

Take this seriously and ask yourself hard questions about your life. Questions like ‘Is this what I want?’, ‘Is that who I want?’, ‘Why do I want this?’, ‘What do I want achieve in my life?’ These questions will lead to other questions and you have to answer those as well.

You may not have the answers straight away but the point is to keep asking until you delve deep into who you really are.

This practice will only work if you’re honest with yourself. Of course, don’t be too brutal on yourself either – it’s a process not a sprint to figure out your life in one morning.

Set aside some time every day and talk to yourself and find answers to all these questions.

Anger will not help you – Instead Practice Non-Reactivity

Stoicism believes that getting angry never gives you anything in return. It uses up valuable time and energy and at the end of the anger, very little is achieved. Anger is a thief of time, with no tangible outcome but possibly more anger.

Instead, stoics advocated Non-Reactivity. This is not to be confused with being emotionless. It is not reacting to a situation in an angry way. If someone is getting riled up or causing an issue, either react in a calm way to diffuse that anger, or take a step back and only communicate when that anger is gone.

It is important not to let the anger control you.

Everything takes up space, either physically, mentally or emotionally

“Learning to live with less will create space in your life for the things that truly matter to you”

Whatever we have in life, be it a material possession or an idea, takes up space. In our house and in our mind. Instead of mindlessly collecting things and mental ideas, you must ask yourself frequently: Do I really need that object? Is it making me feel good and contributing to my life? If the answer is no, free some space up in your life.

The same is true of emotions, thoughts and ideas. Ask yourself: Do I need this idea in my head? Do I need this emotion? Is it making me feel good and contributing to my life?

If you don’t need it, get rid of it.

As an exercise, go through your junk drawers, you closet, your garage and ask yourself that question. Get rid of the things you don’t need. Do the same mentally on a regular basis, especially for negative emotions and ideas.

Practice poverty – Experience the Worst Case Scenario

We fear the worst because it feels unknown to us. Stoics advocated experiencing this worst case scenario so that it did not seems unknown anymore. As soon as they were able to experience it, they wouldn’t fear it because they knew what it felt like.

This was their way of preparing for hardship and become an expert in dealing with the ups and downs of life. Comfort can become a form of slavery because you consistently start to think that someone could take away what you have.

When you’re familiar with what you fear, it no longer controls you.

As an exercise, try living as though you have no money, or half the money you earn a month. Do it for a month and see what it is like. This will teach you to not only appreciate the life you have but also reassure you that if you ever face poverty, you can.

Only focus on impressing yourself through personal growth

Learn that satisfying the ego and trying to keep up with others will never lead to anything but more keeping up. Learn what it is that makes you happy and what will lead you to being your best possible self.

Realize the only person you have to impress is yourself.

As an exercise, next time you want to buy a branded product, consider your reasons for it. If a main part of the reason is to impress others, seriously consider if you should do it.

Without proper training, you’re a fool – learn the skills you need

Stoics advocated learning and becoming skillful before charging in and trying something. If you don’t learn the skills you need, then you are not being a professional, you are being a gambler.

You don’t know everything. Be aware of that

As a companion to the previous point, it is important to realize that many of us walk around arrogantly, as though we know everything. We have all been guilty of that. Yet, the truth is we don’t.

By humbling ourselves in our own eyes, we will much more open to learning new things.

Thinking less of yourself is the ultimate power: it’s where you can grow from.

Your mind becomes what you think consistently.

If you think mostly negative thoughts, they will determine your default response to any situation. If you think mostly positive thoughts, they will determine your default response to any situation.

In other words, the more we practice negative thinking, the more likely we are to see the world as negative. And the more we practice positive thinking, the more likely we are to see the world as positive.

Seek out obstacles.

Obstacles are a way for you to take a challenge that you may not like and use it as a lesson that can help you for the rest of your life.

You learn from hardships and those lessons from make you smarter, stronger and better prepared for when adversity strikes again.

You protect everything you have, why not your mind?

You don’t give away your wallet to a stranger. You don’t hand the keys to your car over to a thief. So why would you hand over the keys to your mind so easily to any stranger who wants them?

It is important to question rationally and become aware of who you are unconsciously giving your mind over to. Realize who is influencing you in a negative way without...