1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Good a Champs. I hope you're bloody terrific. So one 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: of the things that we have not spoken about a 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: lot on this podcast is the Stoics and Stoicism. Paul Taylor, 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: Paul Taylor, Paul Taylor. As many of you love Paul, 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: as you should, because he's great, the great irishman, the neuroscientists, 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: the bloody you bloke with seventy two degrees. He's a big, 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: big fan of the Stoics. He's always banging on about Stoicism, 8 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: and so what I thought I would clumsily do because 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: I am not a guru in this space. Although I've 10 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: read quite a bit of the Stoics and I love, 11 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: for the most part what they have to say. And 12 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: I think despite the fact that a lot of Stoic writings, 13 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: most Stoic writings in fact, on hundreds and thousands of 14 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: years old, I think they're still really relevant. I should 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: probably write things down before I just start talking, shouldn't I. 16 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: I remember when I started my research for my doctorate, 17 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: I was thinking to myself, when is the first mention 18 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: of self awareness? Because my PhD is essentially around a 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: kind of self awareness, and I was thinking that, you know, 20 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: I would do some and I'm thinking it's probably one 21 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: hundred years ago. Some philosopher or some psychologist or some 22 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: you know, theologian or wise person came up with one 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: hundred or two or three hundred years ago. And I 24 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: think it was like two and a half thousand years 25 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: ago that Markusow really has said to know thyself as 26 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: the beginning of wisdom. And that's actually somewhere in my PhD, 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: somewhere in my that's going to be in my thesis anyway, 28 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: which is basically the big book your hand in at 29 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: the end of your what they call project or program anyway. 30 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: So it's it's old, but in many ways it's due 31 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: and it's relevant, and I think we should all learn 32 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: a little bit at least a little bit about stoicism, 33 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: and not because it's and the ideas and the thinking 34 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: behind it, not because it's trendy or not because it's 35 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: current or academic or instagrammable, but because it's it's timeless, 36 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: Like it's really timeless, and it's useful, and it's weirdly 37 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: both confronting and comforting when life goes sideways, and like 38 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: one of the things that really resonates for me is 39 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: the fact that you know, two thousand and two and 40 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: a half thousand years down the track from when a 41 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of the really powerful stuff and 42 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: well known stuff today, when it was written like over 43 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: to millennia ago, the things that people were worrying about. 44 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: We're talking about human behavior in relationships and communication and 45 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: thinking and fear and self regulation and self management and 46 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: controlling controllables, and all of those things that we talk 47 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: about today, they were talking about them back then. In 48 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: many ways. I mean, psychology itself as a profession, as 49 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: a field, psychology is not old at all. I think 50 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: it was developed in the eight hundred, so it's a 51 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: century and a half or don't quote me, but it's 52 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: not old at all. But stoicism, which was essentially talking 53 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: about many of the same things, same ideas. You know, 54 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: how do humans work, how do they think? How do 55 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: they operate? And more importantly, not only how do they 56 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: think and work and operate, but what's optimal? What's the 57 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: best way for us to operate and think and behave 58 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: so that we might produce great results in our lives. 59 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: So what is stoicism? Where did it come from? What 60 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: isn't it? Why is it so relevance, and I guess, 61 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: I guess, most importantly, how can we do something with 62 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: it or about it? How can we operationalize it? I 63 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: always use that term, don't I? And what does that mean? 64 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: By the way, Let's just quickly, so when we have 65 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: an idea or a construct or a strategy, or a 66 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: piece of knowledge or information that's useful, operationalizing it basically 67 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: means just using it, putting it into action. And that's 68 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: one of my one of the things I want to 69 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: constantly come back to an underline in this space of 70 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: personal development, self help, human behavior is the vast amount 71 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: of content we have and research and resources that we have, 72 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: but how little that stuff gets put consistently to use 73 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: and into practice. And it doesn't matter what we know 74 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: if we're not using what we know in an effective way, 75 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: because knowledge knowledge is not power. Knowing what to do 76 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: is not doing what we know. Having a gym membership 77 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: is not going to the gym and training. Knowing how 78 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: to get in shape is not the same as getting 79 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: in shape. Knowing that that you know doing a certain 80 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: thing is bad for you doesn't mean you're not going 81 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: to do it. So so much of this stuff, and 82 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: this is what I love about Stoicism. It's very much 83 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: about doing. It's not at all fluffy, and I guess 84 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: at its core, Stoicism is a really it's a philosophy, 85 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: but it is. It's a way of being and living 86 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: and doing, so we could call it a practical philosophy. 87 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: It's not a religion. It's not a cult. It's not 88 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: a rigid doctrine. It's not written by one person. That's 89 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: written by and it's created by and shared by and 90 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 1: still developed by. And of course Stoicism exists now and 91 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: there are still people who are Stoics and who are 92 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: writing Stoic literature and books. And there are people like 93 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: Ryan Holidays. That his name he Ryan Holiday. He's very 94 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: much a big, big fan of the Stoics who he's 95 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: almost single handedly created a bit of a revival in 96 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: Stoicism globally, and he's at the forefront very much. But 97 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: at these ideas, these thoughts, these concepts and constructs, they 98 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: ain't new, but they're still as relevant forever. So it's 99 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: not a religion, it's not a cult. It's not a 100 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: set in stone, rigid doctrine. I guess it's a framework 101 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: for living well, especially when life is hard when life 102 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: is uncertain and unfair and messy and in the middle 103 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: of the troughs. Yeah, and it's like, I think, that's 104 00:06:57,880 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: just knowing that sometimes life is going to be shit. 105 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: Guess what, that's a stoic statement. Life is going to 106 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: be shit. That's stoicism. I know that. You know that, 107 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: all right? I accept it. Now what can I do? 108 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: That's a stoic mindset. In the middle of the shit? 109 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: What's in my control? In the middle of the shit? 110 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: What can I do in the middle of the shit? 111 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: What is the best use of my energy and time? 112 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: In the middle of the crap, in the middle of 113 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: the thing that's happening that I don't want to be happening, 114 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: but I can't stop it from happening. I'm just in 115 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: the middle of it. What should I do? What should 116 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: I not do? What should I do? More of what 117 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: should I do? Less of what's working and what's not 118 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: And so Stoicism was born in ancient Greece around three 119 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: hundred ish BC thanks to a bloke named Zeno of Sidium, 120 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: And legend has it, don't you love that that after 121 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: a shipwreck he found himself in Athens and he wandered 122 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: into When I originally read this, it's set a bookstore, 123 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: and I'm like, surely there weren't fucking bookstores. I know 124 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: the printing press was invented in the fifteen hundred, so 125 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: what kind of anyway? I did a deeper dive. I 126 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: did a deeper dive. And he didn't wander into a 127 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: bookstore at all. He wandered into a place where there 128 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: were scrolls, basically ancient versions of books or writings, and 129 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: in that place he read about Socrates. Of course you've 130 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: all heard of Socrates. In that moment for the first time, 131 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: xeno Osidium had this kind of revelation, this aha moment 132 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: as we all, well we don't all do we? I 133 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: hope we all do. He had this kind of what 134 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: am I doing with my life moment? What is the point? 135 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: What is it all about? What is my reason? What 136 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:53,839 Speaker 1: am I doing? Kind of like kind of like an 137 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: ancient personal development awakening. And so from there around thround 138 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: a BC, he started to pull together some of these 139 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: ideas and he started teaching. And the place that he 140 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: taught was under a painted porch or a stower, which 141 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: is where the term stower sism. Although it's Stowe isism, 142 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: but that's where it came from. And so the big ideas, 143 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: I guess the key I reckon, the main idea, the 144 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 1: key idea in Stoicism. So the central Stoic construct or 145 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: premise is that there are things that you can control 146 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: and things you can't, and peace and power come from 147 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 1: knowing the difference. Like that's it, that's the backbone. Can't 148 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: control the weather, can't control other people's opinions, as I've 149 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: said many times, or your past, or genetics or global events. 150 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: But you can control your attitude, your actions, your mindset, 151 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: how you respond, how you talk to others, how you 152 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: talk to yourself, and this idea alone of acknowledging what 153 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: we can't control. Of course, can't control all those things 154 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: I just mentioned. But what I can, what I can 155 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: do also not easily, sometimes it's easy, sometimes difficult, But 156 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: if I lean into that idea of well, I can 157 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: I can control me or I can control me more. 158 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: I definitely can't control the weather or the government. I 159 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: definitely can't undo or change what happened a week ago, 160 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: a month ago, a year ago. But what I can 161 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: try to do is I can try to manage my 162 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: responses and my thinking and my choices and my outcomes 163 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: by self regulating and self managing in the middle of 164 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: all of the variables that are out of my control. 165 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: And so you if you into stoicism or you've paid 166 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: any tension, Like, what I love about the guys I'm 167 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: about to mention is that like none of them came 168 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: from anything fancy, Like none of them were born into 169 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: wealth or opulence. So epititis spelled epic titis, epic tites. 170 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: He was born as slave. He became as a philosopher, 171 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:38,199 Speaker 1: and he's he's kind of hardcore. He is primarily about discipline, mindset, detachment. Seneca, 172 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: who you probably heard of, He, despite what earlier said, 173 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: he was, didn't start out, but he became a wealthy 174 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: Roman advisor and he wrote, he wrote extensively and beautifully 175 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: about how to live and die. Well, I love that 176 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. He's he's near the top of my 177 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: list and maybe the most, if not the most, one 178 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: of the most famous stoics as Marcus Aurelius, who, as 179 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: some of you will know, was a Roman emperor. He 180 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: wrote meditations and he basically was journaling his thoughts about life. 181 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: And as I may have this wrong. But I'm pretty 182 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: sure he didn't write it so it'd be read by anyone. 183 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: He wrote it for himself. It was almost like his 184 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: personal account, his diary, and so he wrote meditations which 185 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: are still available now, became a very very famous and 186 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: it's gone through peaks and troughs of popularity and at 187 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 1: the moment it's still quite popular. Where he wrote that 188 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: journaling his thoughts about life, peaks and troughs, his struggle 189 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: and all while running his empire and dealing with the 190 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: fucking mayhem of war and plagues and personal grief. And 191 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: the last one we've spoken about in anyways, Zeno was 192 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:05,439 Speaker 1: the og, the original, is the original gangster of stoicism, 193 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: because he he kind of drew it all together and 194 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: started the movement. And I think, you know, it's it's 195 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:20,079 Speaker 1: good to acknowledge that while some of these guys had 196 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: different levels of wealth, but none of them had easy lives, 197 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: which is kind of the point. So I think when 198 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: you hear about stoicism and people talking about it, you 199 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 1: can think that, oh, this is just brutal. There's no empathy, 200 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: there's no kindness, there's no emotion. It's it's almost inhumane. 201 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: Whereas as I understand it and experience, it's not that 202 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,199 Speaker 1: at all. So let's clear up a few misconceptions. Maybe, 203 00:13:54,240 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: So stoicism is not emotionless. So stoicism in courages us 204 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: to think and feel, but also to aim to respond wisely, 205 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: not to react impulsively. Not always, but as a rule, 206 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: the more impulsive we are, the more out of control 207 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: we often are. Not that we want to be control freaks, 208 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: but we want to respond positively to those things that 209 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: I spoke about before that are out of our control 210 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: so that we create good outcomes. So stoicism is not emotionless. 211 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: It's not passivity. Like we're still taking action, we still 212 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: have goals, we still get involved. We just don't waste 213 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: energy on what we can't control. So it's not about 214 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: being passive. It's not about being a passenger. It's not 215 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: about sitting in the stands and just seeing what happens. 216 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: We're still up to our neck. We're still doing hard stuff. 217 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: We're making decisions, were take action, we're controlling our controllables. 218 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: We're very involved, we're supporting others. We're doing all this 219 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: stuff that we can to do be create the life 220 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,479 Speaker 1: we want to leave, the success we want to experience, 221 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: the goals that we want to create, the impact that 222 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: we want to have. We're doing all of that, but 223 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: we're just not wasting energy on shit that we can't change. 224 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: And I guess finally, what stoicism isn't it's not cold detachment. 225 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: Stoicism actually encourages compassion, justice, humility, and service. In fact, 226 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: it's incredibly human. It just asks what kind of human 227 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: do you want to be when things are hard? What 228 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: kind of human do you want to be in the 229 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: middle of the mayhem and the madness and the shit. 230 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: And I think in many ways, stoicism is a philosophy 231 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: that helps us deal with the hardest parts of the 232 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: human experience. And it's very practical and it's very realistic. 233 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: And I mean pain and suffering and discomfort and uncertainty 234 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: and unfamiliarity and the unknown. All of these things that 235 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: we don't love are inevitabilities of being you and me. 236 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: They are going to happen, as is joy, as is fun, 237 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: as is hopefully love and kindness on planet you. But 238 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: why stoicism matters, it still really matters in twenty twenty five, 239 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: is because no matter how positive we are, no matter 240 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: how evolved we become. No matter how deep and spiritual 241 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: and philosophical we are, people are still going to fuck 242 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: us over, not everyone that's someone. People are going to 243 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: disappoint us and hurt us. People are going to let 244 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: us down, People are going to lie to us. Now, 245 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: you might be the one person in the world who 246 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: doesn't have any of that ever, that's you, well done, 247 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: But the rest of us we have that shit happen periodically, 248 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: hopefully not all the time, but it happens. Plans fall apart, 249 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: things don't work out, health fails, problems arise, things that 250 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: we never anticipated or expected fall on our head metaphorically. 251 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: And so what stoicism does is this kind of way 252 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 1: of dealing with you know, celebrating the great stuff, writing 253 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: that wave of you know, awesomeness when it's happening, but 254 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: being able to be ready to deal with the crappy stuff, 255 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: and gives us almost like a psychological, emotional and behaviorable 256 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:11,639 Speaker 1: behavioral toolkit for handling things without falling apart. You Know, 257 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: one of the things I ask people is not how 258 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: motivated can you get and how pumped up and excited 259 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: can you get? But how productive and proactive and effective 260 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: can you be when things are shit, or when you're 261 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: not motivated, or when you're not excited, or when people 262 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: aren't looking or they're not cheering, or you don't have 263 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: any support, or it's not fun and it's not quick 264 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: and it's not painless. In fact, it's fucking horrible. How 265 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: productive and proactive and effective can you be? Then? How 266 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: committed can you stay? Then? And stoicism helps us stay 267 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: grounded and resilient and focused and doing the things that 268 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: we need to do without pretending that things are perfect. 269 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: Like we're very practical and realistic. We're grounded. Life's not 270 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: a Disney movie. Good things happen to bad people, bad 271 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: things happen to good people. For me, stoicism is almost 272 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: like emotional strength training or for some of my listeners 273 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: mental jiu jitsu. You're not stopping bad things from happening, 274 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: but you're just stopping them from destroying you. So stoicism 275 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: is going to help us with reducing our overthinking because 276 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: we're not going to waste so much time obsessing about 277 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: thinking about overthinking, investing emotional and psycho energy psychological energy 278 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: in things we can't control. We're going to be less 279 00:19:53,960 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: emotionally reactive. We're going to be calmer under pressure. We're 280 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: going to put more focus on the things that actually 281 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: matter and give less focus and attention and energy to 282 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: the things that don't matter or that we can't control. 283 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: It's going to improve relationships, it's going to improve self discipline. 284 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: It's not about Stoicism is not about, in fact, I 285 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: think any optimal human operating system you being better, doing better, 286 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: thinking better, you know, on the self help journey, the 287 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 1: personal growth journey, the whatever it is for you, but 288 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: being better journey. It's not about avoiding hard things. It's 289 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: about being better in the middle of the hard things. 290 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: So there's a couple of things I want to go 291 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: through with you and then we'll we'll wrap it up. 292 00:20:54,359 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: So practical stoicism, the dichotomy of control. Ask yourself is 293 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 1: this in my control? Is this in my control? And 294 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: if the answer is yes, then do something. And if 295 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 1: the answer is no, let it go. Easier said than done, 296 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: of course, as is everything before you point that out 297 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: to me, of course, everything is literally easier said than done. 298 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: Losing weight easier said than done, Building a business easier 299 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: said than done. It's going a PhD, you know, redesigning 300 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: the house, painting the fucking spare room. All easier said 301 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: than done, of course, But if it's not in your control, 302 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: let it go, refocus, move on. If it is, then 303 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: do something and do something quick. Don't wax and Wayne, 304 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: don't wait around number two on my list of kind 305 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: of practical stoicism concepts. Number two is negative visualization. Imagine 306 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 1: losing what you take for granted, your job, your health, 307 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: you loved ones or loved one. I know this sounds 308 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: fucking grim, but it's not really happening, But imagine, imagine, 309 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: imagine losing something that you love, that you value, that 310 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: you rely on, that you need, that is intertwined with 311 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: who you are and how you are. Imagine that, and 312 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:22,439 Speaker 1: then imagine zooming back to right now where that's not 313 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: the case. You still have that thing. That's a shift 314 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: in gratitude, isn't it. And this kind of negative visualization 315 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:35,679 Speaker 1: builds appreciation and emotional strength and also a level of 316 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: gratitude and awareness. Number three. We've got five things number three, 317 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: and Paul Taylor talks about this a lot. Voluntary discomfort, 318 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:50,360 Speaker 1: and that could be something as practical as a cold shower, 319 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: It could be skipping a meal, it could be. It 320 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: could be how about this, how about leaving your home, 321 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: leaving your phone at home? How about having a day 322 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: away from technology, or six hours away from technology, or 323 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: a weekend away, or how about having a hard conversation 324 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: with somebody. I think, I really think it's a good 325 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: idea to practice inconvenience and to be okay with inconvenience. 326 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: We are very and I think it's something that's evolved 327 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: more and more over time, but we are very much, 328 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: especially in twenty twenty five, especially in Australia, I can 329 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: only talk with any kind of level of I guess confidence. 330 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: But even then I put an asterisk next to that 331 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: because I'm just looking through the Craig lens. But I 332 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: think as a society and a culture, we are very 333 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 1: very much enamored by and in love with convenience and 334 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: familiarity and predictability and certainty and two minute abs and 335 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: reward without work and instant gratification and all of those 336 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 1: things that are at odds with stoicism and being able 337 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: to go. You know what, I'm going to wait, I'm 338 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: going to lean into the pain now. I'm not going 339 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,400 Speaker 1: to lean in recklessly, but I'm going to lean in strategically, 340 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to do the hard thing. I'm going to 341 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: do the hard thing one because it needs to be done. 342 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 1: And also I'm going to do the hard thing because 343 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 1: that's where I grow, learn a vole, develop, that's where 344 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: I become different, that's where I build resilience, I gain understanding. Firstly, 345 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: I'm going to say that with what I'm about to say, 346 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,680 Speaker 1: my life has been very easy. I've been very blessed. 347 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: I've naturally my parents were great, school for the most part, 348 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: was great, my childhood was great. I was born in 349 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 1: a beautiful country with amazing people around me. So there's 350 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: no self pity at all, and what I'm about say 351 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: only gratitude. But I've been through quite a few hard things, 352 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: and a lot of those hard things I created, either 353 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: intentionally or unintentionally. Some things I just fucked up. I 354 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 1: did wrong, I got wrong, and there was there was 355 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: a lot of pain, There was rejection, There was emotional, psychological, financial, 356 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 1: and physiological hardship at times. But I know that for me, 357 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,360 Speaker 1: where I grew and you know what I'm going to say, 358 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: but it's just true, where I grew and learned and 359 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: got better and I evolved and my understanding shifted and 360 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: my awareness and level of gratitude changed in the middle 361 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: of the shit, in the middle of the hard things, 362 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: the uncomfortable things. And I think this practice of choosing discomfort, 363 00:25:54,880 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: this practice of choosing the narrow path, and not not 364 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: to do something hard just for the sake of doing 365 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,639 Speaker 1: something hard, but doing the right thing that also happens 366 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: to be the hard thing. And I think quite often 367 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: when it comes to this idea of you know, growing 368 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: and learning and evolving and you know, leaning into all 369 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: of these ideas, I think, deep down, maybe not even 370 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 1: deep down, maybe maybe on a surface level, we know 371 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: that the thing that we need to do is not 372 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: the thing we actually want to do. Because while we 373 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: understand where growth and development and awareness and all of 374 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: those things live and evolve and develop, we also know, well, 375 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: I can take this left turn. It's going to be 376 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,479 Speaker 1: much easier, it's going to be much more convenient, it's 377 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: going to be much more familiar, and nobody's going to 378 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: call me on it. I think that I think that 379 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: doing the hard thing is is quite often the thing 380 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 1: that is going to give us the most benefit. I'm 381 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 1: going to tell you a little story, so just quickly 382 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: this just came into my head. I don't even know 383 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: if it's relevant, but I want to share it with you. 384 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: So it's Saturday night. It is the twenty ninth of March, 385 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: So Saturday night tomorrow, I have a big day of UNI. 386 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: I have a lot of things on. I have lots 387 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,640 Speaker 1: of work to do, lots of boxes to tick, and 388 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: that's all great, lots of study, lots of research and great. 389 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: I'm also going to say to you, this is my 390 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: fifth podcast that I've recorded today, and one of those 391 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: podcasts was nearly two hours with Perry, and every part 392 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: of my body and brain before I started, before I 393 00:27:54,320 --> 00:28:01,439 Speaker 1: started this podcast felt like not doing it now, just 394 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:05,880 Speaker 1: from a personal comfort point of view, I'm like, I don't. 395 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: I've done four falls, great falls, great. But I know 396 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: I've got a very big week. I've got some travel, 397 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,479 Speaker 1: I've got some speaking, I've got lots of commitments. Like 398 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: I said, it's Saturday night, Monday night, I've got my group. 399 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: I've got to prepare for my online mentor and group tomorrow. 400 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:21,640 Speaker 1: I've got research and union all day. I've got lots 401 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: of things to do. And the stoic part of me 402 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 1: was like, do another one? Tonight. Then you've got five 403 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 1: in the can, as we say, you've got five recorded, 404 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: and then that kind of But the challenge is not 405 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 1: to do another one. The challenge is to do another one. 406 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: That's for what I can do. It's great or it's 407 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 1: somewhere near great. So it's not like, hey everyone, it's 408 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: quarter to ten. You're getting the quarter to ten Saturday 409 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: version of Craig at the end of the day, when 410 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,239 Speaker 1: his throat's a bit sore, he's a bit tired. No, like, 411 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: my my intention once I made a decision to do 412 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: this was like it needs to be like, this is 413 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: my first one for the day, and hopefully for you 414 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: can sense my energy and my commitment to doing this 415 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: thing that my body wanted me to go to bed, 416 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: and by the way, I'll go to bed after this, 417 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: but just being able to go, you know what, I'm 418 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: going to do the thing that's inconvenient, the thing that's hard, 419 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: because that's going to make tomorrow easier. And so I 420 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: like the fact that you know, I can integrate what 421 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: I just told you into this message of practical stoicism. 422 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: A couple of more things, A couple of things more, 423 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: I should say. So one was dichotomy of control, what's 424 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: within my control? Two is negative visualization. Three was voluntary discomfort. 425 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 1: Four is daily reflection. And that's just almost where we 426 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: might journal. We might look back on the day, what 427 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: did I do well? What could I do better? And 428 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: were trying to do this without emotion. We're trying to 429 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: do this through the lens of intellect and strategy and 430 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 1: just practical awareness. What did I do great? What could 431 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: I have done better? What can I learn from today? 432 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: What did I learn today? Where did I react emotionally? 433 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: And this kind of reflection is it's kind of like 434 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: keeping back in the day when I used to get 435 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: all of my clients to keep a food and exercise diary, 436 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: And now we've got a new level of awareness and 437 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: understanding and insight into everything that goes into our mouth 438 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: and our body. Well this is kind of the same, 439 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: but it's really everything that's going into our mind and 440 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 1: into our brain and to be able to hit the 441 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: brakes at the end of the day, like I will 442 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: do after this when I go and make myself a 443 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: cup of tea. You probably shouldn't have a cup of 444 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: tea before bed, but fuck it, live on the edge 445 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: and just deconstruct the day practically and figure out what 446 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: I did well, what I could have done better, what 447 00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: I learned, and even something like I constantly set challenges 448 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: for myself that usually I don't talk about here in 449 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: this format, but even like the challenge of like, can 450 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: I do a podcast on a Saturday nights now three 451 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 1: minutes ten? Can I do a podcast on a Saturday 452 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: night at ten o'clock when I'm tired and probably not 453 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: cognitively optimal, but still do as good a job as 454 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 1: I will do in the morning when I'm brand new. 455 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: I don't know what the answer is, but hopefully, hopefully 456 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: a number four of number four is called I'm more fati, 457 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 1: which is I think it's Latin for love of fate. 458 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: So instead of resenting what happens, the bad stuff, the 459 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: messy stuff, just use it as fuel, see it as fuel, 460 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: see it as an experience that you can learn from. 461 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: Use everything, the good, the bad, the unexpected, use all 462 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 1: of the stuff. Find the lesson. Find the lesson. Even 463 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: in the middle of pain, sometimes there's joy. Sometimes there's development, 464 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes there's a real benefit. Sometimes in the middle of 465 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: failure there's success. I'm learning what not to do, so 466 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: many things have happened to me and because of me, 467 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 1: and despite me that I didn't want. But many times, 468 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: in the middle of the thing that I didn't want, 469 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: the outcome that I didn't choose or plan or desire, 470 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: in the middle of that, something great has come. So 471 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: mindset shifts from the stoics. Here's for one, this isn't 472 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 1: happening to me, It's happening for me. I'm back to 473 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: our friend Ryan Holiday. This is a very often quoted statement. 474 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: The obstacle is the way. I think one of his 475 00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: books is called I should know that. I'm pretty sure 476 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: it's called The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. 477 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: The obstacle is the way. Number three. I can't control 478 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: the storm, but I can control the ship. These are 479 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: quite famous expressions. And as I've said to you thirty 480 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,959 Speaker 1: two times, what happens, what matters is not what happens, 481 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: but what I do about it, how I respond. So 482 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: stoicism it ain't about perfection. It's about practice. It's about 483 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: being committed to a certain way of thinking and doing 484 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: and being. And by the way, you're not going to 485 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: develop that stoic mindset by Tuesday or Friday or whenever. 486 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what day a you're listening to this, 487 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: But it's not about perfection. It's about revisiting those ideas. 488 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: It's about practice, it's about repetition. You're still going to 489 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: stuff up, you're still going to get triggered, you're still 490 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 1: going to slip into ego, You're still going to feel 491 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: shit that you don't want to feel. But over time, 492 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 1: you'll get stronger, you'll get cart, you'll get more intentional. 493 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: And you know, living in twenty twenty five and a noisy, chaotic, 494 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 1: reactive everyone's online, fucking throwing hate at each other. To 495 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 1: be able to have this mindset and these stoic skills 496 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:21,280 Speaker 1: and this operating system that can help us rise above 497 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 1: all of that, that's a fucking superpower. That's what that is, 498 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: all right, Grubis, Your thanks for sticking around so long. 499 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: By the way, if you want to check out, if 500 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 1: you want to check out some stoic stuff, you might 501 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 1: want to start with Meditations by Marcus or Realist and 502 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 1: or let Us from a Stoic by Seneca, let Us 503 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,320 Speaker 1: from a Stoic by Seneca, or if you want something 504 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: more of a modern entry point, the Daily Stoic by 505 00:34:57,960 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: Ryan Holiday, that I spoke of a couple of times 506 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,200 Speaker 1: during the show. And remember you can't control everything, but 507 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: you can control you, all right, tem love your guts, 508 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: see you next time. Go and be amazing. No pressure, 509 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 1: in fact, all the pressure. Be amazing in the pressure. 510 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 1: So yeah,