imagine you are the most powerful person in the world you have millions of people under your command and you can do whatever you want but you also face constant threats Wars diseases and betrayals how would you cope with such a life this was the reality of Marcus Aurelius a Roman Emperor who lived almost 2,000 years ago he was also a follower of stoicism an ancient philosophy that teaches us how to live well in any situation stoicism helps us focus on what we can control and let go of what we can't in this video we will
explore how you can apply stoicism to your daily life and how it can make you happier and more resilient what is the most important thing in life is it money Fame power or happiness for the stoics a school of ancient philosophers the the answer was simple it was virtue virtue means living according to reason and nature and doing what is right and good but how can we achieve virtue in a world full of distractions Temptations and troubles the stoics had a core principle that guided them focus on your own actions and thoughts instead of worrying
about what others do or what happens around you this principle may sound simple but it is not not easy to follow it requires constant self-awareness self-discipline and self-improvement it also requires courage wisdom Justice and moderation these are the four cardinal virtues of stoicism and they help us to act rationally and morally in any situation one of the most famous stoics Marcus orelus could have easily been overwhelmed by his responsibilities and problems or corrupted by his power and wealth but he did not let that happen he practiced stoicism every day by writing in his journal meditating
on his principles and applying them to his actions he wrote you have power over your mind not outside events realize this and you will find strength he also wrote the happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts he understood that he could not control everything that happened around him but he could control how he reacted to them he focused on what he could do not on what he could not do he focused on what was in his power not on what was outside his power how do you know what you can control
and what you can't stoicism gives us a simple rule you can control your own reactions and attitudes but you can't control other people's actions or natural events for example you can't control the weather but you can control how you dress for it you can't control what someone says to you but you can control how you respond to them why is this distinction important because it frees you from wasting your energy and emotions on things that are beyond your reach instead of getting angry frustrated or anxious about things you can't change you can focus on improving
yourself and your choices this leads to a peaceful mind and a happier life how do you start your day do you check your phone watch the news or rush to get ready these habits can make you feel anxious and distracted Instead try this before you do anything else take a moment to reflect on what you want to achieve and how you'll react to challenges this will help you set your intentions and prepare your mind for the day ahead the stoics also practiced mindfulness being mindful means paying attention to what you're doing and why you're doing
it it also means being aware of your emotions and thoughts without letting them control you throughout the day try to stay present and attentive to your actions making sure they align with your values for for example if you value honesty don't lie or cheat if you value kindness don't be rude or mean by being mindful you'll avoid regret and guilt and feel more satisfied with yourself Marcus arelius was a great emperor who faced many challenges he had to deal with Wars plagues and betrayals from his own family but he never gave up or lost his
calm he followed sto's m a way of thinking that helped him focus on his own actions and accept what he couldn't control you can learn from marus and become more resilient too stoicism teaches you to see things as they are not as you wish they were it helps you to deal with stress anger and fear it shows you how to live in harmony with yourself and others how can you practice stoicism every day let's find out one of the best ways to learn from stoicism is to reflect on your day every night before you go
to sleep ask yourself these questions what did I do well today what did I do poorly how can I improve tomorrow this will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and make a plan to grow as a person stoicism is not a quick fix but a lifelong journey you can't expect to master it in a day day or even a year you have to keep practicing it every day in every situation remember what Marcus AIA said the art of living is more like wrestling than dancing you have to be ready to face challenges and overcome
them with courage and wisdom you have learned a lot about stoicism and how it can help you focus on yourself and cope with challenges but how can you make it a part of your daily life let's recap the main points and see how how you can practice them every day one remember that stoicism is based on the idea that you can only control your own thoughts actions and reactions everything else is outside your control and not worth worrying about this can free you from anxiety anger and frustration two practice self- focus by paying attention to
your inner State and aligning it with reason and virtue don't let external events or other people's opinions disturb your peace of mind instead focus on what you can do to improve yourself and contribute to the common good three develop resilience by facing difficulties with courage and wisdom learn from the example of Marcus Aurelius who faced many hardships as an emperor but never lost his calm and dignity he used his journal to reflect on his challenges and remind himself of stoic principles and finally engage in reflective exercises to review your day and assess your progress every
evening ask yourself what you did well what you did wrong and what you can do better tomorrow this will help you grow as a person and as a stoic by following these steps you can Embrace stoicism as a way of life and enjoy its benefits just like Marcus aelius with a little practice each day you can learn to focus on yourself and live a life full of peace and resilience fellow stoics we're trying something new and exciting the topic of our next video on stoicism will be chosen by you here's how it works drop a
comment below with a stoicism topic or question you'd love to see covered browse through the suggestions and give a thumbs up to the ones you find interesting the comment with the most likes will be the focus of our next video this is your chance to guide our journey into stoicism can't wait to see your suggestions and dive deep into the topic you choose now that you have learned some stoic principles and how to practice them daily it's time time to challenge yourself don't just watch this and forget about it put it into action every day
try to focus on what you can control and let go of what you can't see how it changes your mood your relationships and your life this is not easy but it is worth it and remember you are not alone in this journey you have the wisdom of the stoics to guide you and the example of Marcus Aurelius to inspire you he was a man who faced many challenges but never lost his calm and his virtue he wrote in his meditations you have power over your mind not outside events realize this and you will find strength
until next time I hope you will find strength in these words and in yourself leave a thumbs up to help us reach more people in search of ancient wisdom if you are new here subscribe and hit the notification Bell for more lessons on Ancient wisdom thank you very much for watching and remember the key to a good life is focusing on what you can control and letting go of what you [Music] can't
