We all go through hard times, we all have moments of doubt, anger, and sometimes hopelessness. But how do we go on? How do we persevere through those hard times?

Ryan Holiday of the Daily Stoic always tell the story of Admiral James Stockdale who was held captive in Hanoi, North Vietnam. He was sent to a war camp that was famous for its brutal treatment of prisoners. 

What got him through more than 7 years of imprisonment? 

Stoicism. 

Stoicism not only helped Stockdale get through his imprisonment, but it helped him refrain from betraying himself and his country. He was able to internally uphold his moral code. He accepted the fact that he could not control his external circumstances. Instead, he mastered his internal dialogue and feelings. 

Now, we are not prisoners of war or being held hostage, but I know, from personal experience that it can feel that way sometimes. Being a prisoner of your own mind, of your seemed to be no way out situation that you find yourself in at the time.

Today we will discuss what my friends the Stoics say about Perseverance and some of the things I have done to adapt and overcome.

“We suffer not from the events in our lives, but from our judgment about them.” — Epictetus