Our dude Ryan Holiday had a terrific blog post the other day about 7 lessons we can learn from the Stoics… Sure the ancient philosophy is over 2000 years old, but the lessons that many of the original Stoics left us are shockingly just as relevant today as they were back then.
Let’s explore…
- Find a mentor – In today’s self help world, it shocks me how many people still try to navigate life on their own. In order to maximize our potential, we need role models and we need mentors to not just tell us how to do good, but to show us how to do good.
- Distinguish what is within our control – By figuring out everything that is within our control, we are able to let go of everything that is not.
- We must be different – Don’t ever accept the status quo or do things just because that’s the way they have been done before… The only way we will ever progress is by stepping outside of the norm.
- Value Virtue – Courage, Justice, Wisdom, Temperance… Act courageously and righteously while continuing to accumulate and champion knowledge and patience.
- If we can’t do good do no harm – Sort of like the “If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all” phrase, if you can’t do good, don’t do anything.
- Compromise is key – Life is all about compromise and understanding conflicting points of view… Yin and yang is a constant force and the only way we will ever survive and thrive as a society is by finding balance.
- Memento Mori – Yup, we all will die. The stoics mentioned that whatever time has passed is already owned by death so we might as well enjoy the moment… We are dying every single day but the question is how many of us are actually living?
-EB
P.S. Have you hopped on a Team GoHard Foot Reflexology Board yet?
