Stoic Habits

Justice is one of the four core virtues of Stoicism. It emphasizes being of service and working with others for the common good. But are their times when we put the feelings of others before our own? It is not an easy answer but the cultivation of reasoned choices in Stoicism helps to identify when this shouls happen.

In Stoicism we learn that it is not people or situations that cause our reation but our impression of them. Sometimes negative emotions can stir uo from these. But negative emotions should not be brushed off. They can be the source of learning and adapting to future situations.

It is not what happens to us that affects us emotionally but our judgements of them. Through this we can express our emotions in a healthy way. We must be aware of our emotions first and then act upon them and guide our behavior in proper ways.

Faced with any bad experience or individual in our lives and we naturally think of a bunch of external circumstances that we think are the cause. But it is our emotions that cause this. Our thoughts turn to emotions that dictate our actions. Learning to cope with negative emotions helps to bring fulfillment.

In Stoicism money is considered to be an indifferent. To many the idea of having money can bring happiness and fulfillment. But money itself does not change things for the better. It lies in the right mindset to change. Money can go just as quickly as it can come so having the right assumption of it can help with proper choices.

No matter what choices or decisions you make in life there always seems to be someone in the way. This someone blocks chances to achieve and find fulfillment. This person is you. A change in mindset is needed to understand what the individual is capable of.

Stoicism has been described as a personal operating system for individuals and life. We each have our own mental operating systems that can be adjusted to our needs in life. Like a technical operating system, the mind and will can be adjusted to change for the better.

Many times we feel we have not achieved what we may want in life. We may feel we have come up short in our goals. The issue rests in the matter of perspective. Too many times we are making comparisons of ourselves to others as a way of measurement. Instead matters need to be measured within ourselves.

There may come certain times in life where everything is good, almost perfect. This is fleeting because change happens. If we are blindsided by it we get left behind. If we embrace is as an opportunity, we improve. Stoicism helps with this by practicing our judgements and reasoning on a daily basis.

Some individuals believe they do not deserve success and fulfillment in life. Some who have achieved success may have a nagging feeling it is not deserved and they are a fake. Overcoming this means looking at the big picture and seeing the true value you provide.

The philosophy of Stoicism seems to give the impression of being the resilient strong willed individual tackling obstacles alone. Stoicism is about acceptance and making reasoned choices. Part of that is accepting help from others when we need it. In turn we may be in a position to help others fate permitting.

Everyone is capable of change. All it takes is the right belief system. When you find the truth about yourself it is a simple matter of changing results in life. This gives greater control over circumstances. Small changes give the mindset for different results in life.

Failing quickly means learning lessons quickly and moving on in life. Failure does not have to define someone. It is not something that should be avoided or ignored. It is an opportunity. To fail quickly means not dwelling on what happened and going forward as a stronger individual.

Our beliefs pattern and shape our lives. Our beliefs are formed based on our experience and the people around us. But we must shape our beliefs with the reasoned mind. We may take beliefs for granted and assume they are correct. It may be necessary to look at what happens with a critical and thoughtful mind to ensure your beliefs are correct.

Stoicism gives the individual understanding of what is in their control and what is not. Through this dichotomy emerges a stronger sense of self-responsibility. This self-responsibility helps to cultivate an understanding of what we as individuals can be grateful for in our lives.

A mind that does not follow principles of Stoicism may be unhealthy like the rest of the body. But the practice of gratitude with the practice of Stoicism has many benefits that can enhance both physical and mental health.

A gratitude journal may seem like another task to be completed with no results. The journal must be done daily to produce long term results. The gratitude journal or any type of journal provides a tool the brings fulfillment and freedom of the soul and mind.

People are continually trying to find joy in their lives. Often a source of joy comes from what we already have instead of what we may want. The key to recognizing this is to have gratitude. Gratitude helps shape the understanding what you have in the present can be your source of joy.

Marcus Aurelius described the soul and the will as a fortress that can be impregnable from externals. But we do not need to keep ourselves behind the walls of our fortress. It can be a source of strength and inner greatness to provide the mindset to bring fulfillment.

One of the tenets of Stoic philosophy is to be of service to others. But to be effective you must set your own foundation. You must believe in yourself with clarity and self awareness. Understanding beliefs and values sets the foundation of self-control and wisdom.