What does it mean to live the ideal life — and who gets to decide what “ideal” really means?

In this episode, we explore wisdom from the Stoics and Goethe on how striving for purpose and meeting each moment fully might be closer to the answer than endless comfort. Take a moment to look the present in the eye and ask yourself: how long will you wait before you demand the best for yourself?

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Quiet Wisdom Of Animals

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the timeless Stoic lesson that true freedom lies in accepting what we can’t control—echoed powerfully in the life and art of Frida Kahlo.

Drawing parallels between Epictetus’s teachings and Kahlo’s indomitable spirit, we see how even when life confines our bodies, our will can still soar.

👇 👇 👇

📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: The Quiet Wisdom Of Animals

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Stoic philosophers understood something timeless about human nature: we spend much of our lives outside the present moment.

We worry about the future, regret the past, and overlook the only time we ever truly possess—now.

Among the Stoics, Seneca in particular had a clear warning: do not waste time.

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: How To Always Get What You Desire

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at what Stoicism has to say about resisting the urge for revenge and reclaiming our inner freedom.

With help from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Diogenes, we examine why retaliation degrades us and how self-mastery is a better path to strength. Instead of reacting impulsively to harm or misfortune, we can learn to respond with integrity, turning adversity into opportunities to build character.

👇 👇 👇

📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: How To Always Get What You Desire

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dig into the meaning behind Kurt Vonnegut’s famous line “so it goes” and how it’s more than just a catchphrase.

Drawing from Slaughterhouse-Five, Stoic ideas, and the book The Courage to Be Disliked, we talk about how accepting what we can’t control can actually help us take better control of what we can.

👇 👇 👇

📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: How To Always Get What You Desire

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the life and teachings of Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher born into slavery who found unshakable strength from within.

His story reminds us that while true resilience begins in the mind, Stoicism also embraces the power of connection, encouraging us not just to endure, but to give and receive support as part of a greater whole.

👇 👇 👇

📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: How To Always Get What You Desire

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I try to answer this question each week in different ways.

For this episode, however, I wanted to step back and provide a more general overview. I hope you find it useful!

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

☀️ Micro Morning Meditation: Don't Mistake Glamour For Beauty

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-dont-mistake

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever woken from a nightmare only to feel deep relief that it wasn’t real?

In this episode, we explore what Marcus Aurelius and Anne Lamott can teach us about illusion, imagination, and insight—how dreams, fears, and even our thoughts can mislead us, and how journaling and Stoic reflection can help us wake up to deeper clarity and purpose.

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📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

How To Live Freely

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore how our judgments—not external events—shape our emotional world, from a child’s toy envy to ancient Stoic parables and the quiet wisdom of Nan Shepherd.

Using Epictetus’s insights and Shepherd’s meditative reflections, we examine how reclaiming control over our perceptions can free us from needless suffering and open us to a richer, more grounded experience of life.

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📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

Micro Morning Meditation: It Might Have Been Otherwise

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-it-might

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at the Stoic principle of focusing only on what lies within our control, using the weather as a vivid metaphor for life’s unpredictable externals.

Drawing on insights from George Gissing, Epictetus, Seneca, Mac Miller, and even Derren Brown, we reflect on how to maintain inner peace in a world that constantly tempts and tests us.

👇 👇 👇

📻 FOR MORE STOIC AUDIO CONTENT

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

Micro Morning Meditation: It Might Have Been Otherwise

https://whatisstoicism.substack.com/p/micro-morning-meditation-it-might

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.