Recommended books on Stoicism

Perhaps you're wondering where to start. To know more about the Stoics, A Guide to the Good Life: The Art of Stoic Joy, by William B. Irvine, is a terrific introduction to the basic ideas and how they could be applied to daily life. To further your learning, read Seneca's Dialogues and Essays, Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, and Epictetus's Enchiridion.

HITTING BACK THE CURVE BALLS

We have all heard sayings like “Life will throw you a curve ball once in a while”, and, “When it rains, it pours”. 

Read the blog post Mindset for Success: HITTING BACK THE CURVE BALLS, from setyourselfuptowin.blogspot.com to find out 3 ways to stay motivated.
 

Why I like being stoic

Knowing the principles of stoicism is one thing, but it is through the opportunities presented in life where the principles learned need to be applied (practiced) that one can truly appreciate stoicism. It gives you a system if you will, of how to deal with extremely challenging, uncertain or stressful moments in your life. A fundamental principle is understanding and distinguishing what is within your control and what is not. Our emotion is an example. We can be reactive to situations or we can be rational and logical, ie the stoic way. Harder said than done, but there is a choice. After months if not years of practicing, the foundational principles of stoicism can be so deeply internalised that it is no longer consciously considered, but lived. That's my goal. The principles of stoicism has guided and helped me in various facets of my life from health and fitness, to my business and personal relationships. Adopting the stoic philosophy has really improved the quality of my life indeed!

7 things I do daily to ensure a better future for myself and my family

1. Morning routine. Start with health and set myself up to win. I have a daily goal and make sure it is part of my bigger vision.

2. Move the body. Full motion and mobility will keep you healthy and well. I do exercises that focus on alignment (balance), flexibility and strength.

3. Recharge the “battery”. I either take a 10-15min nap or do breathing meditation mid-day (usually around 2pm).

4. Invest mindfully. The definition of investment to me is allocating my resources (time, energy, money) mindfully to improve the quality of life for me and my family. For instance, I invest my money into valuable products, programs, and services that will move me forward toward one of my goals. Whether it is health related or professional growth, I ask the question "Will this investment add value to my life in a meaningful way?".

5. Grow your mind. It’s important to challenge the status quo and ask more quality questions. To seek out the answers, I read books, listen to podcasts or reach out to potential teachers/mentors.

6. Be of service to others. The simple equation is- when you add tremendous value to people’s lives, you add tremendous value and fulfillment to yours.

7. Take Action (speed of implementation). Procrastination is the enemy. It’s no surprise that high achievers are action oriented. You need to take action to bring about (manifest) what you think about.

Is your happiness cheap?

The reason why we get stressed or upset is because we try to control the things that we can't control rather than focusing on the things we can. 

Let's say your definition of 'happiness' is- you are happy when things or life events that unfold hits your expectation but unhappy when it misses your expectation. This implies that your happiness is cheap because it doesn't require much effort to be taken away from you by a life situation that's not in your control. 

You expected great service at the 5 star hotel, but received hardly any attention much less a smile- you are unhappy. You expected a nice room but not only did you get a nice room, but you got an upgrade to the presidential suite- you are happy. You expected hot water in the shower, but you get only cold- you are unhappy. Your feelings and emotions, going up and down like a yo-yo being controlled by your environment rather being guided by your ability to focus and control your mind and thoughts about it.

The comedian, Kyle Cease said- "the only way we're hurt is not that someone broke our heart but broke our expectations." Does this mean we should lower our expectations or don't have one to begin with? I know that letting go of expectations is difficult because we've been conditioned to control everything but there is also a world of possibilities when we move with the music and embrace the unknown.

The mindset of winners

When you look at the high-achievers in this world be it in sports or in business, study their mindset. Winning begins with mindset.
'I'm going to be #1...'
'I'm going there to win not just any medal, but to win a gold medal...'
'I'm going to make an indelible impact...'
'I'm going to solve a problem that can affect the quality of lives of more than a billion people...'
...and so on.
They have amazing clarity, discipline and focus. They are hungry to 'win' regardless of major setbacks, the pain of training, oppositions and against all odds. They never give up on the single thing they can fully control- their mindset. It is amazing to observe the things that our physical body is capable if our mind is fully behind it.

Below is a link of a touching story of an Olympian, that shows just how important and powerful mindset is;

Getting upset won't help things

We may like to emulate highly successful CEOs and entrepreneurs when things are collapsing before your eyes. Many of you probably know Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, and original lead developer of WordPress? According to Tim Ferris in his book Tools of Tians, Matt is 'exceptionally calm and logical under pressure.' He's the epitome of 'getting upset won't help things.' Lets put this into perspective. His company is valued at more than $1 billion, has 500 employees and multiple data-center around the world- what are the chances that someone, somewhere has messed up right now?! 100%!! Yet, he is exceptionally calm! Wow!