PRACTISING GRATITUDE How Stoics Practice Gratitude Stoic gratitude is less about a warm feeling and more about a rational recognition of what is already here. The Specific Gratitude List: Unlike vague modern prompts, Stoics like Marcus Aurelius practiced highly specific gratitude. In his Meditations, he dedicated an entire book to listing specific people and the exact lessons he learned from each (e.g., "From my grandfather, I learned good morals"). Negative Visualization (P

Stoics believed that discomfort is inevitable. So, it’s wiser to prepare for it than to fear it. Prepare Rather than Despair Voluntary Discomfort (Askesis) Seneca recommended setting aside days to live on rationed food, wear rough clothing, and sleep on the ground. This practice helps build resilience. It fosters a sense of self-reliance and reduces the fear of losing comforts. Imagine how liberating it could feel to embrace discomfort, right? Negative Visualization (Premedi

How the Stoics perceived what we can and cannot control in our lives

Stoics have 2500 years of strategies for mastering our emotions. EPICTETUS (c. 50–135 CE) Epictetus, a former slave who became a teacher, emphasized the distinction between what is within our control and what is not. He taught that our judgments about events, rather than the events themselves, determine our emotional responses. Sound familiar - yep...it's CBT. How we can learn to see and challenge our negative belief systems. SENECA (c. 4 BCE–65 CE) Seneca, a Roman statesman