Keep away from bad people. That is a complicated statement. You’ll know bad when you see it if you are consciously trying to be good. In every case, judge your own behavior first. That will show you the right path. If you find yourself being nice to someone’s face then speaking ill of them later when they are not in your presence, you have work to do.
Don’t be afraid to share your wisdom and insight with others. Friends or strangers, makes no difference. Remember though, your behavior is a better teacher than words. If your words are not backed up by your behavior, you should think twice about sharing them. If you possess some wisdom or some insight, you are obligated to share it if someone is in need of that, but sharing does not mean forcing that upon others.
Learn to leave your past behind. That’s not to say you ignore it, only that you learn from it and move forward. Love where you’ve been and look forward to where you intend to go.
Remember these two words: persist and resist. Persist in doing what is good resist doing what is not virtuous.
Everything in the universe is part of a larger whole. We are citizens of the world, not just the United States. What harms the individual harms the community, what harms the community harms the individual.
Train your mind with humility. Assuming you have the answer and acting without study and reflection often leads to wrong choices.
You don’t need to shout about your good deeds, just move quietly on to the next one. You are the only person that truly needs to notice your work.
Don’t put off the work you know you should be doing. Keep it simple and do it with passion. When it comes to discussing your work, be clear in your conversation. It doesn’t hurt to speak in complete sentences either…
Take care of your own improvement day-by-day. This entails a willingness to engage in self-reflection each day. Honestly assess what you have done and what you need to do today to make you ready for tomorrow.
Learn to love that which you are good at. Cherish those things and strive continuously to improve those skills. If you learn to love those things, they will be your refuge.
Philosophy is not only for the spirit, it is also for the ordinary life. The more you understand yourself and your responsibility, the better you are able to live a good life. Philosophy can deliver you to that end. Do not think that philosophical study is above you.
Accept the responsibility for your life’s outcome and you will be better able to steer your ship to the proper shore. This is accomplished by having self-respect.
Read and study to live. Acquiring knowledge is the true calling of every person. That is what separates us from the beasts and brings us true happiness.
Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. Remember this, you are rising to do your work. That thought alone can bring you joy and inspiration. Get rid of the snooze button. We can only be of service to ourselves and others when we are moving.
It’s not easy. Do good, even if it requires hard work. Don’t be afraid to do what is hard.
Your job is to keep the flame of goodness in you alive, today and everyday. If other people fail to keep the goodness in them alive, that’s on them. As long as you take care of your flame, the world is a better place.
It’s how you look at it. Do you “have-to”, or do you “get-to”. For the stoic, it is the latter. Out of “get-to” comes enlightenment.
To find our duty is our obligation. Once found, we must follow it. No shirking, no shrinking. This holds true in every phase of our life.
We all have a purpose and we are all interconnected. So every action is part of a larger consequence, a larger reality. The most important purpose? To do good and be wise in every undertaking.
This needs to be read at the beginning of every day.
Think of adversity as presenting opportunity. Every impediment we encounter is an opportunity for growth. (Even though it is hard to look at it that way.)
Watch what you are saying to justify your actions. Excuses are just that. You become who you are through effort and practice and actions.
Self criticism is good and it can be revealing, but that’s where it should end. Don’t beat yourself up. Self-loathing is self defeating.
How you handle even minor upsets in life reveals a great deal about you. In fact, it reveals everything.
If things aren’t going for you the way you’d like, think about trying something different.
The wise man has fewer problems than most. A wise man does not expect the impossible.
Only desire those things that are realistic. Be prepared for those things that might go wrong as well as the things you want to go right.
A wise stoic practitioner knows the right boundaries. It never benefits you to fight with anyone. In fact, to the best of your ability, it will be to your benefit to prevent other people from fighting. Keep your cool. It’s more important hearing what other people have to say than it is in making yourself heard.