334 - Serious Joy: A Stoic’s Unexpected Superpower

In this week's episode, I take some time to answer a few questions:- What should I do when someone criticizes me and I know they’re right?- How do I know if I’m actually making progress in my personal growth—or just spinning my wheels?- What would Marcus Aurelius say about social media?- What’s one way I secretly avoid discomfort—even though I talk about embracing it?“Or is it your reputation that's bothering you? But look at how soon we're all forgotten. The abyss of endless time that swallows it all. The emptiness of those applauding hands. The people who praise us; how capricious they are, how arbitrary. And the tiny region it takes place. The whole earth a point in space - and most of it uninhabited.”—Marcus AureliusSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Empathy has been called everything from a virtue to a weakness to a sin. But in an age of outrage, is empathy a liability? Or is it the very thing we need to preserve civilization? In this week's episode I talk about the importance of empathy and why we need more, not less empathy in the world.“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”—SenecaSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

The Stoics place a premium on rationality and objectivity to help manage our emotions. But how do we develop that objectivity? Why should we practice become more objective? In this week’s episode we’re going to dive into those questions and talk about how you can be more objective.“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Stephen R. CoveySend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

What if your biggest obstacle in life isn’t a lack of knowledge, but something else? What if this one attribute is the one thing that can help you truly excel in life? In this episode, I want discuss what I think is the greatest attribute that any person should have who wants improve themselves and how to develop it.“I’m am neither clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” —Albert EinsteinSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

How often to you spend time worrying about everything that is happening in the world? How can you create more joy into your life? Can a Stoic be happy and joyful? Today I want to talk about Stoicism and joy.“A cheerful disposition and serenity of mind are not the result of luck but of wisdom.” — Seneca(Here's the link to the sunshine video!)Send us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

In times of political division, it’s easy to be swept away by anger, resentment, and fear. But what does that accomplish? Does your anger towards those that disagree with you help yourself or the world? In this episode I want to talk about the importance of maintaining your Stoic principles in times of turmoil.“The essence of good and evil consists in the condition of our character. And externals are the means by which our character finds its particular good and evil.”—EpictetusSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Stoicism is a very personal and practical philosophy. But what would a company look like that implemented some of the ideas from Stoic philosophy? In this episode, I interview Geoff Roberts the CEO of Outseta. Many of the operating principles run counterintuitive to the conventional wisdom of how most companies are managed, and they've been quite successful.  While Geoff isn't a deliberate Stoic, Outseta operates incorporates a lot of Stoic ideals which leads to a healthier work culture built on trust, transparency, and working towards the common good of all the employees.Send us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Are you happy? Do you struggle when life doesn’t go the way you want? Today I want to talk about why we as humans are great at making ourselves unhappy, and some ideas the Stoics gave us to make our lives better. “Man is not disturbed by things, but by the views he takes of them.” — EpictetusSend us a textMy book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

This weeks episode is an interview with Dr. Erik Fisher. Erik is the host of the Emotional Algebra podcast, and works with patients and clients to manage their emotions in a way that is very similar to Stoicism. We had a great and wide ranging conversation about emotions, trauma, and how become more emotionally resilient.Send us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Are you confused about the different teachings of Stoicism you find on the internet? Would the Stoics advocate for the “hyper-masculine” culture that uses Stoicism to support some approaches to stress, dating, and how to treat others? Today I want to talk about how Stoicism can be misused, and clear up some of the misconceptions of Stoicism been propagated by what some have called “Broicism”.“The lamp of wisdom shines brightest when lit by the flame of self-awareness.”― Musonius RufusSend us a text My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here!Find out more at https://stoic.coffeeWatch episodes on YouTube!Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!