Welcome to the Daily stoic podcast each day. We bring you a meditation inspired by the ancient stoics Illustrated with stories from history current events and literature to help you be better at what you do and at the beginning of the week. We try to do a deeper dive setting a kind of stoic intention for the week something to meditate on something to think on something to leave you with two Journal about whatever it is you happen to be doing so let's get
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We can't let anything rattle us yesterday was Halloween and you may have heard your share
of ghost stories, but it's
unlikely that you heard the one about Athena Doris the stoic advisor to the Emperor Augustus
after all aren't the stoic supposed to be above such silly
superstitions. Yes, they are and that's
sort of the message of the story
sometime around the turn of the
Millennium Athena Doris
rented a large mansion in a
Nathan's that was purported to be haunted undaunted by the stories Athena
Doris set about putting his house in order then on his very first night in the house.
Athena Doris was visited by a ghost
clapped in irons and dragging heavy
chains there. It was the exact Apparition. He had been warned about what did he do flea fall to his knees and
pray not this stoic instead Athena Doris in the middle of a writing session motioned
for the ghost to wait and returned to his work.
Only when he was finished, did you get up and follow The
Apparition into the courtyard where it suddenly vanished sensing? This was a message
Athena Doris Mark the spot where the goes to disappeared and then returned to tidy up his desk and go to bed in the
morning. He had workers returned to the spot in ordered
them to dig beneath the dirt. They found ancient bones in Chains. Which Athena Doris had we buried with honors in a public funeral. The ghost was never seen Again by him
or any other resident of the house.
Did this really happen? Who knows
but there was a reason Athena Doris told this story to the young king who was reportedly easily scared and a big believer in the Supernatural. He was trying to teach Augustus a lesson stoics must always keep their head. Even the scariest situations can be resolved with reason and courage and even if you believe in silly things like ghosts or superstitions, you can't
let your life be ruled by them. You
must be in charge no excuses.
We can't let
Anything rattle us today tomorrow whenever and if
you want to read more about Athena Doris, he's a
fascinating character. I mean
some of the stoics fought against Kings and Athena Doris was the stoic advisor
to the very first emperor of Rome. You can read about him and many other less known
but equally fascinating stoics in my new book lives of the stoics The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius to debut
at number one bestseller. I think you'll like it and we even have signed copies in the daily Stokes.
You're just going to store it dot daily still.com. Of course get the book at any retailer online Offline that you like think you'll love the book. Check it out. Reinhold neighbors serenity prayer is a mantra
for many. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference the stoics though. Wanted to push past simply accepting. What is they wanted to
Grateful and happy with what it is Epictetus taught that we get a well flowing life when we wish for what is going to happen. Not
what we want to happen and
Marcus Aurelius said we should meet anything that comes our way with gratitude not I wish this was different and I'll tolerate it
instead. I'm glad that this
happened it is for the best. So
try that on for size
this week don't seek for everything to happen as you wish it would but rather that everything happens as it actually will and then you're like
Life will flow. Well that's Epictetus in the enchiridion to be truly educated means. This Epictetus said learning to wish that each thing happens exactly as it does that's Epictetus again this time from the discourses. All you need are these certainty of judgment in the present moment action for the common good in the present moment and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way. That's Marcus Aurelius 9 8
what I love about that, sir.
The prayer the Ryan will number thing is like if you told me that that prayer was thousand years old that that was a line in the Bible. I mean, I'd be like, of
course, it feels like it's always been with us, but
it's incredible to think that Reinhold niebuhr
lived like until I think the 60s. I mean, he was the one of the most prominent theologians of of that time, but just the idea that like he was a regular person living relatively recently is
just an incredible idea. I mean look,
I'm sure that Taps into some sort of engine idea. But you know, I was reading the story about it. Once you just like he said that a talk and then he scribbled it down on a piece of paper and then it
sort of the rest was history. And I think the reason it was so powerful as
it does Express that that dichotomy of control of the stoic so perfectly it captures perfectly what we're all struggling with. We know there's things that are up to us and we know there's things that are not up to us and
we need to have courage to face the ones that are up to us this week.
And the wisdom to not beat
ourselves bloody on the things that are not up to us. That's the challenge
but I think the Stokes would say that's like beginner level stuff intermediate stuff would be you know tolerating and accepting it being, you know,
somewhat philosophical about it
and then the expert
level that a more
fatty is the decision to love it to just greet everything with a smile to say thank you for all of it. Pete Holmes the comedian he told me he tries.
To practice this idea of saying yes please' to everything so that it's the thing that's already happening. So it doesn't really matter but
he's saying yes please' right. He's just embracing it leaning into it and we
can see how this is a recipe for a happy life a
happy existence. And and if we don't I
think we're setting ourselves up for a rough
tough week, you know what I mean? So as you
think about everything that's going to happen over the next few
days. Try to to say look some of it.
Going to be up to me some of its going to be my choice some of its
not going to be some of the brakes are going to go my way. Some of the brakes are not but
what I'm going to do is greet all of it with
a smile. I'm going to say that a more fatty to me. I'm going to practice with the Stokes called the discipline of assent not going to fight against what's not up to me. I'm not going to wish things were otherwise. I'm going to
greet them as they are to be truly educated means this that's Epictetus again, as we said learning to wish that each thing happens exactly.
As it does don't seek for everything to happen
as you wish it would but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will and then your life will flow. Well wishing you a wealth flowing week this week. Just know it's got to come from a more fatty and it's got to come from a place of ascent if you like the podcast that we do here and you want to get it via email every morning. You can sign up at Daily stoic.com / email.
