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In this meditation, we explore Seneca’s powerful teaching on emotional freedom and the art of holding your self-worth within—not in the shifting opinions of others. Seneca writes: “The wise man is invulnerable to insult… He stands above both the applause and the condemnation of the crowd, for he has placed his esteem within his own soul, where honor is incorruptible and peace undisturbed.”

Most of us rise and fall with praise and criticism. A compliment lifts us, an insult wounds us, and other people’s opinions quietly dictate our mood. Seneca offers a different path—one rooted in inner stability, clarity, and self-governance. Drawing on a well-known Buddhist teaching about refusing an insult as one would an unwanted gift, and insights from modern psychology on developing an internal source of self-worth, this meditation explores how to become less reactive and more grounded in one's own principles.

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In this meditation, we explore one of Seneca’s most profound teachings on wealth, desire, and freedom:

Seneca reminds us that poverty is not measured by what we lack, but by what we crave. True wealth, he says, is found not in accumulation, but in sufficiency — in the quiet realization that we already have what is needed to live well.

Drawing on both Stoic and Epicurean wisdom, this reflection explores how simplicity leads to serenity, and how reducing our desires brings more peace than satisfying them ever could. As Epicurus wrote, “If you wish to make someone rich, do not add to his money, but subtract from his desires.”

Expect to learn:

• How to distinguish nature’s needs from opinion’s endless wants
• Why craving more leads to dependence, not freedom
• How ancient philosophy offers a timeless cure for modern restlessness
• Practical ways to practice the art of enough in everyday life

The Stoics and Epicureans both understood this truth: wealth is not the possession of many things, but the mastery of desire. When we stop measuring life by what’s missing, we discover that the cup is already full.

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 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts

📮 Want tools for the art of living? Sign up here: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe

Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project (and Perennial Meditations newsletter). Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) contemplate what it means to live a ‘good’ life.

---

 
 🖇️ Stay Connected: 

• Newsletter: https://perennial.substack.com/subscribe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perennialmeditations/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialMeditations

---
 
 🦉 Additional Resources: 

• Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
• Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts