The Daily Stoic - If You Are Studying Philosophy, It Is Well | The One Path To Serenity

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to another episode of the Daily Stoic podcast. On Thursdays, we do double duty, not just reading our daily meditation, but also reading a passage from the book, The Daily Stoic, 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living, which I wrote with my wonderful co-author and collaborator, Stephen Hanselman. And so today we'll give you a quick meditation from one of the stoics from Epititus Marks, Relius, Seneca, then some analysis for me. And then we send you out into the world to do your best to turn these words into works. [♪ Music playing in the Daily Stoke podcast early and add free on Amazon

Starting point is 00:00:49 music. Download the app today. Hi, I'm David Brown, the host of Wundery's podcast business wars. And in our new season, Walmart must fight off target, the new discounter that's both savvy and fashion forward. Listen to business wars on Amazon music or wherever you get your podcasts. In one of his letters, Sennaka tells us of an old Roman pleasantry that friends would exchange when greeting each other. If you are well, one would say after inquiring how someone was, it is well and I am also well. It's a nice little custom, isn't it? If you're good, I'm good and everything is good. Nothing else matters. But of course, because this was Senika, he couldn't just leave it there. In fact, telling us about this old

Starting point is 00:01:37 expression was just a device to make a point. A better way to say it, he writes, is, if you are studying philosophy, it is well. For this is just what being well means. Without philosophy, the mind is sickly in the body too, though it may be very powerful, is strong only as that of a madman or a lunatic is strong. The point is that to the Stoics, the practice and study of philosophy was the only way to make sure all was well, no matter what was happening in the world. At war like Marcus Aurelius, study philosophy in your tent at night. Unable to submit to Caesar's tyranny like Kato, weed a little Socrates before your dramatic suicide. Shot down over Vietnam like James Stockdale, say to yourself, as he did, I am leaving the world of technology and entering the world of epictetus.

Starting point is 00:02:34 As in, even in a POW camp, I can still practice and pursue philosophy and be well for it. Nobody knows what the day or the week has in store for us. As much as we take care of ourselves and eat well, so much of our health is outside of our control, but the one way we can make sure that we are always well and that we are always getting better mentally, spiritually, if not physically, is by the books we read, the questions we ponder, and the conversations we have. Now get studying. Today is January 12th. The one path to serenity is our entry in the Daily Stoic. As I was telling you, just I think three more days or two more days to get the daily stoic for $199 as an ebook in the US and the UK I'll link to it below Obviously, we have the cloth addition. I'm holding one that got here at Target

Starting point is 00:03:32 It's got a target sticker on it, which is pretty funny But you can also get the leather bound edition at store.dailystoic.com should hopefully stand the test of time But Here's the entry. Keep this thought at the ready at daybreak. This is epictetus's discourses. And through the day and night, there is only one path to happiness. And that is in giving up all outside your sphere of choice regarding nothing else as your possession surrendering all else to God and fortune. This morning, remind yourself what is in your control and what is not in your control. Remind yourself to focus on the former and not the latter.

Starting point is 00:04:16 Before lunch, remind yourself that the only thing you truly possess is your ability to make choices and to use reason and judgment when doing so. This is the only thing that can never be taken from you completely. In the afternoon, remind yourself that aside from your choices you make, your fate is not entirely up to you. The world is spinning and we spin along with it, whichever direction good or bad. In the evening, remind yourself again how much is outside of your control and where your choices begin and end.

Starting point is 00:04:44 And as you lie in bed, remember that sleep is a form of surrender and trust and how easily it comes and then prepare to start the whole cycle over again. Epic Jesus is just the best man. He is just the best. And you know, he's not just writing this little prescription for our fortunate, luxurious modern times. You think about this guy who was waking up as a slave. He had so little control. He was waking up.

Starting point is 00:05:13 He was disabled. He walked with his limp. He lived in a time. You could be exiled. You could be killed. You could die of disease at any moment. He lived in a time of political corruption, time of violence, time of, you know, manifest injustice, his own status in that sphere being quite clear.

Starting point is 00:05:35 What Epictetus was saying is that the path to serenity was in focusing on what you control in limiting your view towards those things, not a mode in ad or being resentful or angry about the things that are outside your sphere, about being able to practice surrender, he calls it the art of acquiescence, which I've always found to be a beautiful phrase, remembering that you don't possess anything, that even that all the things are yours and trust only even your own body, even the life that you have eventually that gets taken back from you. And this can feel a little sadder resigned, but actually find it quite empowering and

Starting point is 00:06:13 quite beautiful. And it's just a reminder that there's only one path to serenity today. It's a simple, it's a clear, straightforward path. It's not easy, but that's it. And we could do well to remind ourselves of this quote, morning, day and night. And don't forget to grab the Daily Stoke, 199, as an ebook right now, all into it in today's show notes. Thanks for listening to the Daily Stoke Podcast. Just a reminder, we've got signed copies of all my books in the Daily Stoke Store. You can get them personalized, you can get them sent to a friend.

Starting point is 00:06:58 The obstacle is the way. You go as the enemy, still in this is the key. The leatherbound edition of the Daily Stoke. We have them all in the Daily Stoke Store, which you can check out at store.dailystoke.com. Hey, Prime Members! You can listen to the Daily Stoic Early and Add Free on Amazon Music, download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.

The Daily Stoic - If You Are Studying Philosophy, It Is Well | The One Path To Serenity

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