A PRACTICAL TAKE ON THE STOIC PHILOSOPHY TO LIVE A MORE HAPPY LIFE EVERY DAY British philosopher and writer Alan Watts once wrote the story of the Chinese farmer. _Once upon a time, there

was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most

unfortunate.” The farmer said, “__MAYBE__.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What

a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “__MAYBE__.”_ The story continues with more _unfortunate _and _fortunate _events happening. However, the reaction

endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining.” However, there’s a slightly negative vibe that comes with this description which is completely wrong in my opinion. In

the heart of Stoicism lies the idea ‘control what you can control’. If something is outside your (direct) sphere of influence, don’t bother. Some things aren’t up to you to change. There’s

no need to spend time and effort on situations if you can’t control the situation. Stoics focus on four main virtues: * WISDOM. Knowing ethical right from wrong. Knowing what to control and

what not to control. Knowing what makes you happy. Knowing how to value possession, friend, and family. * COURAGE. This virtue’s pretty similar to the well-known word. It’s the act to stand

firm in any kind of situation. To act according to your own principles and face problems rather than hide from them. * MODERATION. The skill to be self-disciplined. This will enable you to

be the moderator of your own life. * JUSTICE. The skill of having a good soul and carry this out to others and nature. Semantically this is slightly different than the word is used in modern

language. For Stoics, being _just_ means to master kindness and fairness. Remember the Chinese farmer from earlier? He isn’t caught up in emotions. The external event (which he couldn’t

control) did not affect the way he lived his life in any way. MEET THE STOICS Over two centuries ago the philosophical movement of Stoicism was born. The philosophy highly pertains to

knowing and improving yourself. It’s focused on personal ethics and the way one can live his life. A life guided by logic and nature. Unlike other ideologies, there is no desire to spread

Stoicism around the globe. It’s something you practice for you and you alone, similar to Buddhism. We know a lot about the way the Stoics lived their life and what they saw as their purpose.

However, there isn’t a lot of literature available about this philosophical movement. Mostly due to the fact that Stoicism is something you _do _rather than read. However, a few very

important writings are still available. These _books _form the basis of (modern) Stoicism. The writers are seen as the most influential contributors to the Stoic ideology: * THE ENCHIRIDION

(the handbook) and Discourses by Epictetus Epictetus was born as a slave in ancient Greece. He believed every individual is responsible and accountable for his/her own actions. Moreover, he

strongly believed that every man or woman was responsible for his/her own happiness. That’s quite interesting, coming from the mouth of a slave in ancient Greece. * MEDITATIONS by Marcus

Aurelius A journal that’s written by the Roman Emperor. He wrote the journal without the intent to share it with others. This makes the writing rather personal and also very easy to apply to

everyday life. He reflects on everyday life but also on reigning one of the greatest empires that ever existed. * LETTERS (FROM A STOIC) by Seneca Seneca wrote letters to his brother

shortly before passing away. RECIPIENT: his brother Lucilius. SUBJECT: his Stoic take on slavery, coping with failure, preparing for death, and everything else life had to offer. 4 PRACTICAL

USES OF STOICISM TO APPLY TODAY Many Stoic ideas can be applied to modern-day life. There’s no clear recipe on how to live a Stoic life. How to implement Stoic beliefs is all up to this one

person called ‘me’. The following practices can kickstart your Stoic lifestyle. 1. What to control and what not As said before, in the heart of Stoic belief is the idea to focus on the

things you CAN control. Don’t bother spending time and energy on things outside of your direct control. Similar to this idea is the popular Circle of Influence by _Stephen _Covey. Take a big

piece of paper, draw a circle and start writing down everything that lies within your personal circle of influence. 2. Reflect on behavior and thoughts A very practical way to do reflect on

your own behavior and thoughts is journaling. Just like Marcus Aurelius did to capture his thoughts and actions. Think about a specific situation. Had an argument at home? Had a bad day at

work because your boss was being bossy again? Any situation will do. Write down what happened, what you thought, and what your actions were as a reaction to the situation. Journaling doesn’t

have to take up much time of your day. It can be as quick and easy as writing down something you’re grateful for, every day. 3. Practice what you preach As discussed before, Stoic beliefs

revolve around our virtues. These words are generally known in the 21st century. However, if we would both give a description of a courageous man, our definitions will differ quite a lot.

Think about what these virtues actually mean to you. How would you like to carry them out in your day-to-day life? Are you living up to your own virtues? 4. Take success and failure the same

Life happens. Both bad and good stuff can happen every day in your life. There’s no way you can foresee something bad happening (nor something good). Therefore, it’s not important what

happens or when it happens, but the way you perceive the event. You are responsible for your own actions and reactions. In times of fortune but also in times of misfortune; think about all

the other possible outcomes of the same situation. None of the other possible outcomes should have changed who you are and how you feel. Marcus Aurelius had quite an interesting metaphor to

explain this matter. He believed any person (regular man, soldier, emperor, etc.) was like a rock. _“Throw the rock up in the air. it loses nothing by coming down and gained nothing by going

up.”_ The rock stays the same. All together now! As soon as you start to read and practice Stoicism, you’ll notice that many Stoic aspects are connected. One virtue could not exist without

the others. _For example:_ Your boss is being bossy again but this time you believe he’s also treating you unfairly (_virtue: justice_). The same evening, you sit down to write down what

happened (_journaling_) and how you handled the situation (_perceiving the event_). Eventually, you write down what lies within your power to do the next time such an event occurs (_circle

of influence_). > Forrest Gump would’ve been a great Stoic. Life is indeed like a > box of chocolate and you’ll never know what you’re gonna get. > It’s not even important what 

you’re getting, but the way you > perceive what you’re getting. KEY TAKEAWAY Practicing Stoicism can help to live a more happy and mindful life. By reflecting on your behavior, take

action because YOU decided to, know what to control, and take life as it comes. The Philosophy is focused on getting to know yourself and improving based on the learnings. Simple daily

activities will help you master Stocism: * Know what lies within your sphere of influence * Reflect on behavior and thoughts * Live up to your own virtues * Don’t be emotionally affected by

external events The Stoic philosophy is over 2000 years old. However, it might be even more applicable to modern-day life than it was back then. > You have power over your mind — not 

outside events. Realize this, > and you will find strength.―Marcus Aurelius