This episode dives into the Stoic idea of the “passions”—those powerful storms of anger, fear, envy, and grief that arise not from events themselves but from the judgments we attach to them.

Epictetus teaches that emotional turmoil begins in the domain of desire, where unexamined impressions harden into false beliefs about what is good or bad.

By learning to pause, test our impressions, and assent only to what is true, we reclaim mastery over our inner world.

The work is gradual but transformative: each moment of careful attention becomes a step toward clarity, resilience, and the deep calm that comes from governing one’s own mind.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Art of Self-Retrieval

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-art-4d8

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This episode explores listening as a form of courage and clarity—an active practice that shapes how we understand the world and ourselves.

From Zeno’s simple reminder that we have “two ears and one mouth” to Epictetus’s deeper lesson on assent, we learn that true listening isn’t passive reception but deliberate attention. It invites empathy, reveals uncomfortable truths, and creates the space in which wisdom can emerge.

When we listen with patience and discernment—to others, to nature, to our own inner signals—we reclaim our freedom to choose our responses and, in doing so, walk a wiser path through life.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Virtue Doesn't Need To Signal

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-virtue-doesnt-f2d

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This episode brings haiku and Stoicism into conversation, showing how both traditions teach us to savor fleeting moments while also meeting life with energy and purpose. Bashō’s delicate images remind us to slow down and truly see the world, while Seneca urges us to “hold every hour in your grasp.”

And in a surprising twist, modern research reveals that Stoic practice doesn’t dull the spirit—it ignites zest, the vigor that makes life feel vivid again.

Together, haiku’s quiet attention and Stoicism’s joyful readiness form a blueprint for living fully in every passing instant.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Run Back Over Your Actions

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-run-back

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This episode turns the Stoic lens toward the illusions of power and wealth, as Epictetus and Cicero expose the tyranny of desire and the poverty of excess.

Through the figure of the boastful ruler and the self-satisfied rich man, both philosophers reveal how dependence on externals—on fortune, status, or approval—enslaves the soul.

True mastery, they argue, lies not in ruling others but in ruling oneself. The person content with virtue alone, free from craving and fear, is richer and stronger than any tyrant alive.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Meaning of Life

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-the-meaning

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In this episode, I talk to Shermin Kruse, a globally recognized negotiation consultant, law professor, author, and TEDx producer.

In her latest book, Stoic Empathy, Shermin blends neuroscience, philosophy, and her own personal journey to provide actionable insights into cultivating influence, self-leadership, and emotional regulation.

It was a pleasure to speak to Shermin, I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Virtue Doesn't Need To Signal

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-virtue-doesnt-f2d

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This episode weaves together the wisdom of Michel de Montaigne and Seneca—two thinkers separated by centuries yet united in their answer to life’s oldest question: how should we live?

For Montaigne, the key was freedom from the fear of death. For Seneca, freedom from the waste of life. One teaches acceptance, the other intention.

Together, they remind us that peace comes not from prolonging our days, but from inhabiting them fully—to stop dreading the end and start honoring the present as life’s most sacred gift.

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☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: This Is True Temperance

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-this-is-2fa

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In this episode, we look at the beauty of balance through Seneca’s counsel on plain living and Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata.

Seneca reminds us that philosophy calls for simplicity, not self-punishment—a life both modest and graceful, grounded yet open to the world.

Echoing this, Ehrmann’s gentle verses urge calm, kindness, and humility amid life’s noise and haste.

Together, these voices teach that wisdom is not withdrawal but harmony: to live earnestly, serve humbly, and never lose sight of the quiet joy found in life’s simplest things.

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☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Remain Human in an Inhuman Time

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-remain-human

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This episode explores Epictetus’s radical vision of strength—one rooted not in anger or domination, but in mastery of the self. Through his reflections on thieves, insults, and injustice, the former slave turned philosopher shows that true invincibility lies in compassion, clarity, and control over our own judgments.

When we cease giving power to what others do and focus instead on how we respond, we become untouchable in the deepest sense. The Stoic’s triumph is not over enemies or circumstance, but over the impulse to surrender peace of mind to anything beyond our will.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: When To Stop Listening

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-when-to

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This episode traces the Stoic lineage back to Socrates, whose probing questions revealed that health, wealth, and reputation are not inherently good or bad—their value lies in how we use them.

From Xenophon’s dialogues to Cicero’s reflections, we see how wisdom became the touchstone for discerning what truly matters. Fortune’s gifts and losses come and go, but virtue remains unshakeable.

The Stoic message endures: our real possessions are inward ones, the moral resources that no change of fate can ever take away.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: A Prayer to Nature

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-a-prayer

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This episode shines a light on Temperance—the often-overlooked Stoic virtue that quietly anchors all the rest.

Far from being dull restraint, Temperance is freedom: the ability to enjoy life without being ruled by appetite or impulse. It’s the steady discipline that transforms courage into integrity, justice into fairness, and wisdom into clarity.

In a culture that celebrates excess, this virtue reminds us that moderation is not denial but mastery—the calm art of keeping life in balance so that joy, reason, and harmony can flourish together.

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Check out one of my latest daily Micro Morning Meditations here on Substack:

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: A Reliable Companion

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-a-reliable

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