15 Oct We’re often looking for “the latest” thing but what if there were important lessons we could learn from over 2000 years ago?
So many of us are so keen to learn the latest tricks and tools for happiness and success that sometimes we forget about the lessons from yesteryear…or yester-century!
Several thousand years ago, a group of Greek philosophers established Stoicism from which much can be learned that's still relevant to our modern lives and to our desire for happiness.
Check out this fascinating article from the Huffington Post…
by Thai Nguyen
Some of the greatest leaders in history were Stoics — Cicero, Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius. It's no surprise considering Stoicism's emphasis on self-mastery. Success and leadership has to start with looking in the mirror.
The key is found in responding — not reacting to external circumstances. Stoics taught although we can't control what happens to us in life, we can control our perception of it, which makes all the difference.
Responding requires being mindful, aware, and in control of your emotions and thought process, rather than being under their control. In any event, we can choose to perceive them in a productive way, or a destructive way. Stoics chose to see the glass always half-full, to find the silver lining in every cloud.
These seven lessons from Stoicism will no doubt bring positive change to your life:
1. Think About Thinking.
"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." — Marcus Aurelius.
Only an attentive mind can filter and revoke unhealthy thoughts, and subsequently, unhealthy behaviors. Stoicism taught a clear distinction between your thoughts and behavior. It's that old adage, think before you act. The mindless person acts viscerally and regretfully.
The next time you're confronted with a frustrating conversation or your schedule is suddenly derailed, pause for a moment — create that break to process what happened; then ask yourself: What's the best way I can respond?
The simple act creates the self-reflection necessary put an end to impulsive, and negative responses.
2. New Day, New Beginnings.
"Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life." — Seneca.
An awful day doesn't have to become an awful week. Failing to meet a deadline can spread to a rejected business proposal if the fire of frustration isn't put out. The Stoics built walls of mental compartmentalization when necessary. Little pieces of the big picture connect and affect one another; when a cancer of anger and negativity is identified, it needs to be cut out before it spreads.
A new day, a clean slate. Put a stop to the domino effect before your little errors turn into a major crises…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE