7 Stoic Practices That Will Instantly Supercharge Your Happiness and Success
- thekaizenway2715
- Nov 17, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 30, 2024
Introduction
Amidst the chaos, leading a peaceful, enlightened, and calm life is challenging. Progressing freely feels like an uphill climb now more than ever. However, Stoicism makes conquering that mountain easier. Here are 7 Stoic practices that will help you tackle that huge mountain of yours. These Stoic practices can bring calm to the chaos we face every day.
Welcome to a whole new mindset.
Welcome to Stoicism.
Stoic Practices
Pressed for time? Here’s a list of the 7 practices we’ll discuss today:
Negative Visualization
Dichotomy of Control
Amor Fati (Love Your Fate)
Mindfulness
Choosing Discomfort
Memento Mori
Practice Gratitude
Wanna know more about them? Read below to find out.
Negative Visualization
"Anticipate misfortune not to invite it, but to arm yourself with gratitude and resilience."
Yep, it involves mentally preparing for the worst-case scenarios. Murphy’s Law states, "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong". Think of this as preparing for the worst possible outcome. This is not meant to cause fear but to cultivate gratitude for the present. It's an exercise that helps us appreciate what we often take for granted.
Think of it as a backup plan for your backup plan. The great emperor and philosopher
Marcus Aurelius said to himself every day, "Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness—all of them due to the offender’s ignorance of what is good or evil.”
When we prepare for the worst, we realise what's happening around us is not as depressing as we make it to be.
Dichotomy of Control
Focus on what's in our control, and nothing else matters. When we think about it, often the things that are outside our control are the things that bug us the most.
So, focus on what's in our control and what's not. In practice, it may look like this: Angry over traffic? It's not in our control. Frustrated by the weather? It's not in our control. Irritated by other people? How they act is not in our control. It's easier said than done; in practice, this concept is much harder to adopt. In times of ease, anyone could think philosophically and be self-aware, but in times of adversity, that's when a person's real character comes out. Being the same self everytime makes the difference, and for Epictetus, it did.
The life of a slave was difficult, yet he faced adversity like no one else would. He did it by focusing on what was truly in his control. It is a difficult feat to achieve, but that's why Epictetus says it's the first and primary part of life—to split everything into what's in our control and what's not.
See, by adopting this philosophy, we could solve at least half of our problems throughout life. Epictetus says what's in our control is usually the way we react to things. The most important part of an event is not the event itself but our judgement of it.
Amor Fati (Love Your Fate)
Is it truly possible to love one's fate, even if it's full of adversity? Well, the Stoics say we can. They gave utmost importance to the Stoic concept of Amor Fati—love thy fate. It means to accept your fate with grace: love it no matter the circumstances. Yes, it’s tough to love your fate when you are in a low place, but at the end of the day, it's all about the experiences, be they of any kind, emotion, or feeling. At the end of the day, all you are left with are your experiences. Whatever happens, think of it as a gift for the life that you were so lucky to have. The Stoics saw obstacles and adversities as opportunities to grow. As they say, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is not just about sitting still and meditating. For the Stoics, being present meant everything before anything else. They understood the power of a human when they are living in the present. Look around you—most people know the importance of being present, yet are they really living in it?
There’s a saying: "Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not."
Here are some advantages of being mindful:
Helps you beat addictions.
You won’t stress over your future anymore.
You start focusing on the small things, for they are actually the serene parts of life.
How can we be mindful? Here are some ways:
Negative Visualisation: Mentally preparing for the worst-case scenarios.
Dichotomy of Control: Focus on what's in our control, and nothing else matters.
Amor Fati: Love your fate.
Journaling: "Paper has more patience than people." - Anne Frank.
Meditation: Something as little as 3 to 5 minutes per day can do the trick.
Choosing Discomfort
Comfort Zone: The Greatest Enemy of Discipline. The comfort zone is something like a marketing scam. There’s a saying: "If it feels too good to be true, then it probably is." That's exactly what the comfort zone is. Do we feel comfortable? Yes. But do we feel great? Probably not. Yet people choose comfort over greatness. Here’s what happens when you stay inside your comfort zone:
Fear of the Unknown. The longer you stay in your comfort zone, the scarier the unknown becomes.
A Life Half-Lived Imagine all the stories you could tell, the experiences you could have, and the person you could become if you embraced the unknown. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Seeking discomfort is a conscious embrace of challenges. It's a mental workout that builds one’s resilience and cultivates a Stoic mindset. For example:
Taking a cold shower.
Waking up early when you are comfortable in the sheets.
Choosing to talk to a stranger.
I know it seems impossible, but trust me, this mindset allows us to have the courage to step out of our comfort zone. Essentially, it’s about being comfortable being uncomfortable. These practices might seem counterintuitive, yet in Stoic philosophy, they are pillars for navigating life's uncertainties.
Memento Mori
Remember, no matter what happens, you will die. Happy about something? It doesn't matter—you will die. Depressed about something? It doesn't matter—you will die. Seems confusing, right?
Memento mori is a concept that is often misunderstood. Thinking about death all the time shouts narcissism, but there's a deeper meaning to it. The concept of memento mori in Stoic philosophy has provided great guidance to Stoic philosophers. To pick the neutral side of an event is to remember your mortality. For the Stoics, Memento Mori reminded them not to be too arrogant and to stay humble towards nature. Just like life, death also happens.
This is another practice that helps us be mindful and present. Remembering that we will die reminds us about the present and the choices we can make to live in it.
Practice Gratitude
"At the end of the day, if you are not grateful, then there’s no meaning in doing all this. For the Stoics, practicing gratitude was of great importance.
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” - Epictetus
Focusing on and appreciating what we already have rather than grieving over what we lack is an important step to take in the path of a Stoic. Accept fate with grace. The fact that you woke up today is a reason to be grateful. Here are some other ways we can practice gratitude:
Writing down one thing we are grateful for every day.
Meditation.
Prayer: When you pray to God, instead of wishing for new things, just express your gratitude."
Conclusion
In summary, integrating these practices into our lives can lead to a deeper sense of serenity, acceptance, and appreciation for our lives.
Negative Visualisation: Mentally prepare for the worst-case scenarios.
The dichotomy of Control: Focus on what's in our control, and nothing else matters.
Amor Fati: Love your fate.
Mindfulness: Be present.
Choosing Discomfort: Step outside your comfort zone.
Memento Mori: Remember, you will die.
Practice Gratitude: Be grateful.
Comentários