What I have learned Practising Stoicism for a Year: 17 Stoic Mantras
How to live embracing Stoic philosophy
I became interested in Stoicism at the beginning of August last year when I came across this video. Two days later, thanks to Ryan Holiday, I found some references, and a few days later, on Tim Ferriss’s podcasts.
So, while I was in the United States in the middle of a new experiment, I decided to learn the principles of this lifestyle (more than a philosophy) and start practising them in depth every day.
My top learnings about Stoicism turned into 17 Stoic Mantras
It resonated so strongly with me that I took the works of some of the greatest Stoics in history, began reading them, then studying them, and finally implemented their teachings into my lifestyle. Today, after a year of practising, I compile the learnings about Stoicism that today form part of my daily blankets:
- I am not what I want; I am what I have.
2. I don’t need anything; I have everything.
3. I show great appreciation for what I own and live.
4. Everything that happens is neutral; it is neither good nor bad; the only thing that matters is how I react.
5. When something overwhelms me, I make two divisions: what I can and cannot control. So, as immediately as possible, I work on what I can control. The second thing is that I let it go; it doesn’t belong to me.
6. For me, there is almost no emotion; there is no good or bad. I understand that things have the value and weight that I give them.
7. I avoid judging facts or events. I watch them happen and accept them as they are. It’s all a matter of my perception.
8. I train almost daily to turn obstacles into advantages and additional rewards.
9. I am immune to the negative setbacks that arise almost daily.
10. I embrace hostile disagreement as an asset for personal and professional growth.
11. The better things get, the more uncomfortable I feel. That doesn’t mean I must stop enjoying the moment and living in peace.
12. I experience scarcity from time to time. Just because you can eat, spend, talk, or do it doesn’t mean you should.
13. I focus almost all of my work on interior effects. I have understood that emotions are created intensely — what happens outside is neutral; what matters most is what happens inside myself. If I understand and practice this, I will be at peace with myself and with others.
14. The more uncertainty I experience, the less uncertainty I feel. The same applies to fear, pain, detachment, or frustration.
15. I put the things that matter to me more into perspective. I work every day because everything — except the people I love — worries me less. I am aware that (almost) nothing has to matter to me. When something tragic, harmful, or negative happens, I gain perspective and move away from it.
16. I only value one asset above all else: time.
17. I don’t have to get anywhere; I’m already there. Now, you must live awake and take whatever comes as a bonus.
Meet my professors
Zeno of Cytium, Cicero, Chrysippus, Cleanthes, Panaetius, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Epicurus, Seneca, and Lao Tzu (not declared as Stoic).
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