Although the word “stoic” commonly refers to someone indifferent to pain, pleasure, grief, or joy, the great Stoic philosophers were definitely not indifferent to these feelings and emotions. They were thinkers and dreamers just like you and me. Marcus Aurelius, a famous Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor, once said, “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” And Seneca once wrote, “The happy life is to have a mind that is free, lofty, fearless and steadfast—a mind that is placed beyond the reach of fear, beyond the reach of desire, that counts virtue the only good, baseness the only evil, and all else but a worthless mass of things, which come and go without increasing or diminishing the highest good, and neither subtract any part from the happy life nor add any part to it.” Clearly stoicism as a philosophy of mind goes much deeper than just ethics, reason and logic. In this post I’ll share 8 inspiring quotes from stoic philosophy that can lead you to a life filled with purpose and happiness.
1. Connect with the world around you.
2. Live in the present moment.
3. Live a life of virtue.
4. Harness the power of your mind.
5. Don’t get worked up over stuff that doesn’t matter.
6. Stop caring what others think about you.
7. Cultivate strong relationships by doing selfless acts for people you love.
8. Be thankful for what you have and stop worrying about what you don’t have.
Featured photo credit: Lawrence OP via flickr.com -Marcus Aurelius -Seneca -Epictetus -Marcus Aurelius -Epictetus -Marcus Aurelius –Musonius Rufus -Epictetus
