Start small, stay small
In 2018, I started reading this book: The Daily Stoic. It contains 366 short meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living, one for every day of the year. I decided to write a short post about my thoughts, and feelings on every passage, as a way of commitment.
You are welcome to follow along and share your own thoughts. I will post one short mini-article every day, so you can visit this page or follow me on Twitter to stay up to date.
Ready? Let’s begin with the first meditation of the book: January the 1st.
The Daily Stoic for December 26th, “Life Is Long — If You Know How To Use It”. “It’s not at all that we have too short a time to live, but that we squander a great deal of it. Life is long enough, and it’s given in sufficient measure to do many great things if we spend it well. But when it’s poured down the…
The Daily Stoic for December 25th, “Don’t Burn The Candle At Both Ends”. “The mind must be given relaxation—it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced—for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break—so constant work on the anvil will fracture the force of the mind. But it regains its powers if…
The Daily Stoic for December 24th, “Meaningless… Like A Fine Wine”. “You know what wine and liqueur tastes like. It makes no difference whether a hundred or a thousand bottles pass through your bladder—you are nothing more than a filter.” —SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 77.16 I was once at a wine tasting in an old winery in the north of Spain. We were taught how to…
The Daily Stoic for December 23rd, “What Are You So Afraid Of Losing?”. “You are afraid of dying. But, come now, how is this life of yours anything but death?” —SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 77.18 I am not sure what to think of today’s stoic meditation. Let me quote here the most relevant part: “Most of us are afraid of dying. But sometimes this fear begs…
The Daily Stoic for December 22nd, “Stake Your Own Claim”. “For it’s disgraceful for an old person, or one in sight of old age, to have only the knowledge carried in their notebooks. Zeno said this . . . what do you say? Cleanthes said that . . . what do you say? How long will you be compelled by the claims of another? Take charge and stake your own claim—something…