In this episode, we explore the profound teachings of Marcus Aurelius and the Daily Stoic's emphasis on deep understanding. Delve into the importance of not just skimming the surface but truly absorbing knowledge through careful and attentive reading.
Learn how Marcus Aurelius developed a love for clarity and insight under the guidance of his teacher, Quintus Junius Rusticus, who introduced him to the works of Epictetus. Discover how these teachings influenced Marcus to become a person of wisdom and strength.
We also touch on the cultivation of relationships and understanding, fostering a simpler and more integrated approach to life, mind, body, and spirit. Join us as we catch up on the insightful lessons for January, setting a foundation for growth throughout the year.

In this episode, we explore the profound teachings of Marcus Aurelius and the Daily Stoic's emphasis on deep understanding. Delve into the importance of not just skimming the surface but truly absorbing knowledge through careful and attentive reading. Learn how Marcus Aurelius developed a love for clarity and insight under the guidance of his teacher, Quintus Junius Rusticus, who introduced him to the works of Epictetus. Discover how these teachings influenced Marcus to become a person of wisdom and strength. We also touch on the cultivation of relationships and understanding, fostering a simpler and more integrated approach to life, mind, body, and spirit. Join us as we catch up on the insightful lessons for January, setting a foundation for growth throughout the year.

Cultivating Deep Clarity: Lessons from Marcus Aurelius

Whether you find yourself pivoting within your life and career, are starting a new self-care routine, or just waking up to feeling fully human, Begin with Ben as he pairs inspired selections of Stocicism and Tao to get you out of your head and into your daily flow.

Begin with Ben reading today’s The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and a page of The Unknown Teachings of Lao Tzu by Hua Hu Ching to focus on ONLY what is in YOUR power of control, including YOUR ability to begin the practice of sincerely serving ALL human beings, whether they deserve it or not, and notice how your entire world begins to improve.

Dr. Ben is a pilot, father, farmer, Osteopathic Physician and friend to ALL from rural Appalachia who sprang into action as healer, helper, community organizer and advocate in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic destruction of Western North Carolina in late September, 2024.  Since Helene and since retiring from his North Carolina Hospice and Long Term Care Medical Practice, Ben is pouring all of his efforts into simplifying and summarizing his extensive training and life experiences into straight-forward and effective self-care modalities, uniquely successful community-focused projects, and pioneering and promoting national advocacy projects he is passionate about.

Listen to Ben reading similarly aligned and overlapping philosophical, inspirational, spiritual, religious and medical texts from the recent and remote pasts.  Listen in as Ben interviews key fellow travelers who demonstrate an innate interest and ability to invoke and inspire change and re-connection within oneself and our communities.

Dr. Ben embodies his Spirit to take you back to simpler times, keeping you clear and centered on being present and focused on how the simplest Truth of aligning YOUR intuition with YOUR Highest Purpose and Spirit simply connects us ALL to God and Universal Consciousness.  Expect to notice improvements and new successes in personal resiliency, simple SMART goal setting and achievement, as well as strength and power to cut through Bullshit while discovering the simple comforts and reassurances of many others’ aligned intuitions, intentions, and passions!

Stay tuned as Ben’s first podcast morphs into additional shows including:  1)Creating a Majority of Female Helicopter Pilots & Mechanics in Aviation: A Celebration as the 99’s turn 100 in 2029!;  2)Trenton and Mariah Have Ended Child Slavery: The Tragic Story of Deborah Surrett and her Heroic Family;  3)How to Remove Yourself from the Western Medical Trap;  4)Intuitive, Natural, and Simple Resilent Farming Methods; and  5)How to Un-train your Brainwashed Western Societal Mind and Un-learn the Educational Propaganda it had absorbed in order to Begin Again with Ben.

Ben is the caretaker of his magical 18 acre farm affectionately dubbed ”Your Farm” in the picturesque farming community of Leicester located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.  With the help of his friends, community, churches, local non-profits, businesses and governments Your Farm is becoming a community healing space and resource for modeling traditional as well as non-traditional hands-on-trades for women and men of all ages.

Dr. Ben currently lives in Susanville and works with Native Tribes in California to establish wholistic approaches to Indian Health Service and to assist and encourage its Native Members to re-discover their own medicines.  

As an economist and self-taught bush/amphibious pilot, Ben is now enjoying obtaining his commercial and instructor helicopter ratings in Robinson Helicopters while pioneering a self-sustaining and resilience building franchise of Native Helo Air Services.  By predominantly working with youth and historically marginalized populations, Ben is engineering unique win-win-(win) methods to create micro-economies of rural trained helicopter pilots, mechanics, and ground support that offer Native Air Transport, Scenic Tours in the Lake Almanor and Lake Tahoe areas, Regional and Custom Jet Robinson Charters, Air Tractor Contracting, Flight Training and Helo Mechanic Instruction, etc.

Ready to Begin with Ben?

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Whether you find yourself pivoting within your life and career, are starting a new self-care routine, or just waking up to feeling fully human, Begin with Ben as he pairs inspired selections of Stocicism and Tao to get you out of your head and into your daily flow. Begin with Ben reading today’s The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and a page of The Unknown Teachings of Lao Tzu by Hua Hu Ching to focus on ONLY what is in YOUR power of control, including YOUR ability to begin the practice of sincerely serving ALL human beings, whether they deserve it or not, and notice how your entire world begins to improve. Dr. Ben is a pilot, father, farmer, Osteopathic Physician and friend to ALL from rural Appalachia who sprang into action as healer, helper, community organizer and advocate in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic destruction of Western North Carolina in late September, 2024. Since Helene and since retiring from his North Carolina Hospice and Long Term Care Medical Practice, Ben is pouring all of his efforts into simplifying and summarizing his extensive training and life experiences into straight-forward and effective self-care modalities, uniquely successful community-focused projects, and pioneering and promoting national advocacy projects he is passionate about. Listen to Ben reading similarly aligned and overlapping philosophical, inspirational, spiritual, religious and medical texts from the recent and remote pasts. Listen in as Ben interviews key fellow travelers who demonstrate an innate interest and ability to invoke and inspire change and re-connection within oneself and our communities. Dr. Ben embodies his Spirit to take you back to simpler times, keeping you clear and centered on being present and focused on how the simplest Truth of aligning YOUR intuition with YOUR Highest Purpose and Spirit simply connects us ALL to God and Universal Consciousness. Expect to notice improvements and new successes in personal resiliency, simple SMART goal setting and achievement, as well as strength and power to cut through Bullshit while discovering the simple comforts and reassurances of many others’ aligned intuitions, intentions, and passions! Stay tuned as Ben’s first podcast morphs into additional shows including: 1)Creating a Majority of Female Helicopter Pilots & Mechanics in Aviation: A Celebration as the 99’s turn 100 in 2029!; 2)Trenton and Mariah Have Ended Child Slavery: The Tragic Story of Deborah Surrett and her Heroic Family; 3)How to Remove Yourself from the Western Medical Trap; 4)Intuitive, Natural, and Simple Resilent Farming Methods; and 5)How to Un-train your Brainwashed Western Societal Mind and Un-learn the Educational Propaganda it had absorbed in order to Begin Again with Ben. Ben is the caretaker of his magical 18 acre farm affectionately dubbed ”Your Farm” in the picturesque farming community of Leicester located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With the help of his friends, community, churches, local non-profits, businesses and governments Your Farm is becoming a community healing space and resource for modeling traditional as well as non-traditional hands-on-trades for women and men of all ages. Dr. Ben currently lives in Susanville and works with Native Tribes in California to establish wholistic approaches to Indian Health Service and to assist and encourage its Native Members to re-discover their own medicines. As an economist and self-taught bush/amphibious pilot, Ben is now enjoying obtaining his commercial and instructor helicopter ratings in Robinson Helicopters while pioneering a self-sustaining and resilience building franchise of Native Helo Air Services. By predominantly working with youth and historically marginalized populations, Ben is engineering unique win-win-(win) methods to create micro-economies of rural trained helicopter pilots, mechanics, and ground support that offer Native Air Transport, Scenic Tours in the Lake Almanor and Lake Tahoe areas, Regional and Custom Jet Robinson Charters, Air Tractor Contracting, Flight Training and Helo Mechanic Instruction, etc. Ready to Begin with Ben?

Whether you find yourself pivoting within your life and career, are starting a new self-care routine, or just waking up to feeling fully human, Begin with Ben as he pairs inspired selections of Stocicism and Tao to get you out of your head and into your daily flow.

Begin with Ben reading today’s The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and a page of The Unknown Teachings of Lao Tzu by Hua Hu Ching to focus on ONLY what is in YOUR power of control, including YOUR ability to begin the practice of sincerely serving ALL human beings, whether they deserve it or not, and notice how your entire world begins to improve.

Dr. Ben is a pilot, father, farmer, Osteopathic Physician and friend to ALL from rural Appalachia who sprang into action as healer, helper, community organizer and advocate in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic destruction of Western North Carolina in late September, 2024.  Since Helene and since retiring from his North Carolina Hospice and Long Term Care Medical Practice, Ben is pouring all of his efforts into simplifying and summarizing his extensive training and life experiences into straight-forward and effective self-care modalities, uniquely successful community-focused projects, and pioneering and promoting national advocacy projects he is passionate about.

Listen to Ben reading similarly aligned and overlapping philosophical, inspirational, spiritual, religious and medical texts from the recent and remote pasts.  Listen in as Ben interviews key fellow travelers who demonstrate an innate interest and ability to invoke and inspire change and re-connection within oneself and our communities.

Dr. Ben embodies his Spirit to take you back to simpler times, keeping you clear and centered on being present and focused on how the simplest Truth of aligning YOUR intuition with YOUR Highest Purpose and Spirit simply connects us ALL to God and Universal Consciousness.  Expect to notice improvements and new successes in personal resiliency, simple SMART goal setting and achievement, as well as strength and power to cut through Bullshit while discovering the simple comforts and reassurances of many others’ aligned intuitions, intentions, and passions!

Stay tuned as Ben’s first podcast morphs into additional shows including:  1)Creating a Majority of Female Helicopter Pilots &amp; Mechanics in Aviation: A Celebration as the 99’s turn 100 in 2029!;  2)Trenton and Mariah Have Ended Child Slavery: The Tragic Story of Deborah Surrett and her Heroic Family;  3)How to Remove Yourself from the Western Medical Trap;  4)Intuitive, Natural, and Simple Resilent Farming Methods; and  5)How to Un-train your Brainwashed Western Societal Mind and Un-learn the Educational Propaganda it had absorbed in order to Begin Again with Ben.

Ben is the caretaker of his magical 18 acre farm affectionately dubbed ”Your Farm” in the picturesque farming community of Leicester located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.  With the help of his friends, community, churches, local non-profits, businesses and governments Your Farm is becoming a community healing space and resource for modeling traditional as well as non-traditional hands-on-trades for women and men of all ages.

Dr. Ben currently lives in Susanville and works with Native Tribes in California to establish wholistic approaches to Indian Health Service and to assist and encourage its Native Members to re-discover their own medicines.  

As an economist and self-taught bush/amphibious pilot, Ben is now enjoying obtaining his commercial and instructor helicopter ratings in Robinson Helicopters while pioneering a self-sustaining and resilience building franchise of Native Helo Air Services.  By predominantly working with youth and historically marginalized populations, Ben is engineering unique win-win-(win) methods to create micro-economies of rural trained helicopter pilots, mechanics, and ground support that offer Native Air Transport, Scenic Tours in the Lake Almanor and Lake Tahoe areas, Regional and Custom Jet Robinson Charters, Air Tractor Contracting, Flight Training and Helo Mechanic Instruction, etc.

Ready to Begin with Ben?

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Cultivating Deep Clarity: Lessons from Marcus Aurelius

Cultivating Deep Clarity: Lessons from Marcus Aurelius