Stoic Coffee Break

Erick Cloward

"Act on your principles, not your moods." A weekly meditation on how Stoic principles can help you be a better human. https://stoic.coffee
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20 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Wednesday · 13 min
Keystone Habits: How One Good Habit Can Change Everything
Habits are a key part of our lives. We have helpful habits that help us accomplish what we set out to do. We also have some that we’d like to get rid of. But what if I told you that sometimes one good habit is all it takes to reorient our lives and make lasting changes? In this week’s episode we’ll discuss the importance of keystone habits and how you can find yours. "All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits." — William James
July 23 · 16 min
The Virtue of Reading | 384
When was the last time that you read a book. A serious book. Something stretched your mind? Something that you had to stop and go back and reread a sentence or paragraph to make sure you understood it? Maybe even learned some new words? New ideas? In this episode, let’s talk about why you should read deeper — not just so you can check another book off your list, but as a tool to help you deal with the complexities of life. “Friends, the school of a philosopher is a hospital. When you leave, you
July 14 · 1 hr 5 min
Interview with Jon Brooks: Stoicism and Emotions | 383
Jon Brooks is the host of the Stoic Handbook podcast and Substack page. In this episode we talk about the dangers of over-managing your emotions and finding ways to be a good Stoic while not shutting yourself off emotionally.
June 21 · 15 min
What Does It Actually Take to Be Courageous? | 382
Courage, one of the four cardinal virtues of Stoicism, is what I consider the fuel for virtue, and really for living a good life. But what does courage actually look like? Are we born courageous or it it something we can develop? In today’s episode we’re going to dive into what Stoics taught about courage and how it’s backed up by modern science. "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." —C.S. Lewis
June 15 · 1 hr 8 min
Interview with Kelly McGinnis: What it Takes to Really Lead | 381
Kelly McGinnis spent two decades navigating the most complex systems in the Fortune 100 arena, from driving digital transformation to unlocking billion-dollar opportunities as a CFO and President. I have worked with teams all over the world. Today, she help leaders stop "getting back to themselves" and start integrating their professional superpowers with their personal reality. She focuses on what truly matters so you can stop sweating the small stuff and start leading from a place of steadines
June 5 · 10 min
What's the Worst that Could Happen? | 380
“What’s the worst that could happen?” We’ve all heard this before. Usually it’s tongue in cheek just before something really bad does happen. But counterintuitively, it’s actually one of the most powerful questions that we can ask ourselves when we’re stuck in anxiety. So let’s talk about how imagining the worst can you you be your best. “The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.” — Seneca
May 28 · 10 min
Why Searching for Meaning Is Keeping You Stuck | 379
Do you live a meaningful life? Not "are you successful" or "are you productive" or "are you optimizing your mornings”, but does your life actually feel like it means something? Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man on Earth. He had every external condition for a meaningful life — wealth, status, purpose handed to him by birth. And yet, his private journals are full of reminders he had to write to himself just to keep going. Which tells you something important: meaning isn't a thing you find
May 19 · 16 min
Collaborating with Reality: The Stoic Art of Being Present | 378
Far too often we’re never really in the moment. Maybe we’re stuck ruminating in the past over what we wished would have happened, or projecting out into the future our hope of what will happen. Maybe we distract ourselves with our phones, with entertainment, or alcohol or drugs. Anything that can relieve boredom or the discomfort of our present reality. But what if you leaned into that boredom? What if embracing discomfort is the key to really experiencing your life? In this episode I want to ab
May 6 · 19 min
The Power of Paradox: The Stoic Art of Holding Two Truths at Once | 377
Can two things be true at the same time? Can you hold two opposing ideas at the same time? Today I want to talk about how learning be be comfortable with opposites can widen your thinking and help you see reality a little more clearly. "The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth." — Niels Bohr
April 28 · 21 min
How Fear Creates the Failure It Fears | 376
Are you motivated by fear? What if that fear is actually at the root of why you’re not getting the results you’re going after? In this week’s episode I want to talk about how to stop fear from sabotaging your best work. “What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled as if they were threatening you, will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come."
April 21 · 21 min
Before You Book the Therapist, Build the Foundations | 375
Do you need therapy in order to have a good life? What is the difference between therapy and philosophy? Today I want to discuss the differences and how you need to right tools to build a good life. “We should not use philosophy like a herbal remedy, to be discarded when we're through. Rather, we must allow philosophy to remain with us, continually guarding our judgements throughout life, forming part of our daily regimen, like eating a nutritious diet or taking physical exercise.” ― Musonius
April 15 · 10 min
Why You'll Never Reach Your Ideal Self (And Why That's the Point) | 374
Do you have a clear picture of the person you want to become? And what happens when you fall short of that person — not once, but again and again? Today I want to talk about what you should do when you fall short of reaching your ideal self. “Give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths.” — Epictetus
April 7 · 13 min
The Busy Trap: Seneca on Why You're Optimizing the Wrong Thing | 373
Are you too busy? Are you working too hard to be productive with every minute of your time? In today’s episode I want to talk about the perils of over-optimizing your life, and what the Stoics had to say about managing your time. “So, concerning the things we pursue, and for which we vigorously exert ourselves, we owe this consideration – either there is nothing useful in them, or most aren't useful. Some of them are superfluous, while others aren't worth that much. But we don't discern this an
March 30 · 15 min
Skeptical, not Cynical: How to Think in an Age of Misinformation | 372
In today’s media environment do you know how to think well? How do you know who to trust? Today we’re going to talk about how Stoicism can help you to think critically about what you consume, and how be skeptical without being cynical. “You become what you give your attention to…If you yourself don't choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will.” — Epictetus
March 23 · 16 min
Akrasia: The Challenge of Knowing vs. Doing | 371
How often do you put things off? Why do you put things off that you know you should do? Maybe waiting for circumstances to be just right before you make a change? In this week’s episode we’re going to dive a deeper into why put things off, and what you can do to build momentum, and move forward. “It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest
March 15 · 15 min
370 - Q & A: Opinions, Anxiety, Ambition, & Knowing vs. Doing
How do you stop worrying about what others think of you? Is worrying ever useful? Can Stoics be ambitious? How can I actually do what I know I should? In this week's episode I answer some of your questions through the lens of Stoicism. "It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own." — Marcus Aurelius Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! M...
March 9 · 15 min
369 - Spend It Like a Millionaire: Why Holding Back Isn't Humility
What if the thing you've been quietly doing your whole life — the thing that feels almost too easy to count — is actually your greatest gift to the world? And what is it costing you to keep holding it back? "If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke." — Brendan Francis Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for...
February 28 · 14 min
368 - Finding Your Pace: Stoic Advice for Dealing with Burnout
How do you get back up when too many things in life hit you all at once? How do you get your momentum back when it feels like every step is like wading through molasses? Today I want to talk about how Stoicism and friendship can find your balance and get moving again when life knocks you off your feet. When you have been compelled by circumstances to be disturbed in a manner, quickly return to yourself and do not continue out of tune longer than the compulsion lasts. — Marcus Aurelius, Medit...
February 21 · 12 min
367 - Choosing From the Wreckage: The Stoic Guide to Impossible Decisions
How do you make a decision when all the choices in front of you feel like bad ones? Today I want talk about how Stoicism can help us take action when faced with impossible choices. “What should we have ready at hand in a situation like this? The knowledge of what is mine and what is not mine, what I can and cannot do.” — Epictetus, Discourses I, 1.21 Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! My book Stoicism 101 is ...
February 13 · 14 min
366 - Your Beautiful Life: The Path of Stoic Joy
Is Stoicism all about being strong and serious? Is it too pessimistic and always looking for where things can go wrong, where the next challenge or struggle is? Today I want to talk about the softer side of Stoicism, and how many of the tools the Stoics teach us can actually lead us to joy. “To live happily is an inward power of the soul.” — Marcus Aurelius Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! My book Stoicism ...

Stoic Coffee Break

Keystone Habits: How One Good Habit Can Change Everything

The Virtue of Reading | 384

Interview with Jon Brooks: Stoicism and Emotions | 383

What Does It Actually Take to Be Courageous? | 382

Interview with Kelly McGinnis: What it Takes to Really Lead | 381

What's the Worst that Could Happen? | 380

Why Searching for Meaning Is Keeping You Stuck | 379

Collaborating with Reality: The Stoic Art of Being Present | 378

The Power of Paradox: The Stoic Art of Holding Two Truths at Once | 377

How Fear Creates the Failure It Fears | 376

Before You Book the Therapist, Build the Foundations | 375

Why You'll Never Reach Your Ideal Self (And Why That's the Point) | 374

The Busy Trap: Seneca on Why You're Optimizing the Wrong Thing | 373

Skeptical, not Cynical: How to Think in an Age of Misinformation | 372

Akrasia: The Challenge of Knowing vs. Doing | 371

370 - Q & A: Opinions, Anxiety, Ambition, & Knowing vs. Doing

369 - Spend It Like a Millionaire: Why Holding Back Isn't Humility

368 - Finding Your Pace: Stoic Advice for Dealing with Burnout

367 - Choosing From the Wreckage: The Stoic Guide to Impossible Decisions

366 - Your Beautiful Life: The Path of Stoic Joy