inner_peace

We’ve heard the word trauma used liberally the past few years, both in relation to shared global events (like the pandemic) and in relation to more trivial things (like someone cutting in line at Starbucks).

When a psychological concept goes mainstream, it’s bound to be understood differently by different people. So, what IS trauma? What is NOT trauma? And if we want to change the relationship with our trauma and the way it makes us feel, how can we guide ourselves to think differently about it?

Tune in to this week’s episode as podcast host, New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and spiritual leader, Gabby Bernstein shares about her own trauma treatment story and the role curiosity and compassion have played in it.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://unfuckyourbrain.com/233

Today it is great to have Ryan Holiday on the podcast. Holiday is one of the world’s foremost thinkers and writers on ancient philosophy and its place in everyday life. He is a sought-after speaker, strategist and the author of many bestselling books including The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living , and the number one New York Times bestseller Stillness is the Key. His books have been translated into over thirty languages, and been read by over two million people. He lives outside Austin, Texas with his family, and his most recent book is Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius.

Time Stamps

[00:01:10] Stoicism and "works over words"
[00:04:04] Modern day Stoicism
[00:05:16] Knowledge for knowledge’s sake vs. practical purposes of philosophy
[00:06:58] The four virtues of Stoicism
[00:07:59] Living well versus living the good life
[00:10:04] The founding fathers and Stoicism
[00:11:18] Ryan’s writing vs. academic writing
[00:17:43] The deeply personal Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
[00:19:21] Zeno the Prophet and the founding of Stoicism
[00:20:41] Living in harmony with nature
[00:22:16] How COVID-19 has given Ryan perspective on being zoomed into life
[00:25:33] Eastern and Western conceptions of stillness
[00:29:30] The relationship between Stoicism and humor
[00:30:11] Aristo the Challenger and the influence of cynicism on Stoicism
[00:31:01] Zeno the Maintainer and the repetition of names in Roman times
[00:33:38] Antipater the Ethicist and transcending individual selfishness
[00:37:56] Panaetius the connector and Stoicism beyond virtue
[00:39:36] Women in Stoicism and Portia Cato
[00:40:58] “Cancelling” Stoicism and the tearing down of Confederate statues
[00:44:48] Posidonius the Genius and the battle between our lower urges and higher nature
[00:46:26] The omission of frivolity in Stoic writing
[00:48:16] Cato: Roman among the Romans
[00:51:58] Epictetus and the nature of freedom
[00:54:27] How Marcus Aurelius became the emperor of Rome
[00:57:13] How Ryan has grown since his earliest engagements with and writings on Stoic philosophy

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Discover exactly why we get sucked into believing that we can control other people and external circumstances, and why letting it go is the only path to true freedom. Any feeling you want to have can be achieved by relinquishing the belief that you can or should be able to control anything outside of yourself. To do this, I’m offering a set of questions you can ask yourself that will focus on the things you can control.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://unfuckyourbrain.com/126

Interest in Stoicism has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Yet despite the increasing popularity of this ancient philosophy, misconceptions still abound about it. For example, many people assume that to be Stoic means to not feel or express any emotion, including happiness, and that Stoicism requires one to live a bland and spartan lifestyle. My guest on the show today debunks these myths and shows that Stoicism can actually enrich our lives and allow us to experience real happiness. His name is Bill Irvine and he’s a professor of philosophy and the author or A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.
 
In our discussion, Bill shares the origins of Stoicism and how the Romans modified Greek Stoicism to fit their culture. We then get into specific Stoic practices you can implement today to start improving your life. Bill shares the power of negative visualization, how to approach things you have some, but not complete control over, and how to purposely inject discomfort into your life to increase your grit. Bill then explains the Stoic duty of socializing and how to maintain your Stoic serenity even with the most difficult of people. We then discuss what the Stoics would have thought of political correctness and microaggressions and some of the critiques of Stoicism.
 
If you've been wanting to understand Stoicism more, but haven't known how to get started, this podcast is a great introduction and is packed with not just background information but actionable advice.

"Awareness provides the solution to every human problem that has a solution." - Bill Harris
If you enjoyed this interview, check out show notes and more at www.lewishowes.com/106.