Most guys are cocky. They think they got everything figured out, so they don't learn new things. Pathetic. There is ancient wisdom in the world that can transform your life. It can help you reach your biggest goals, but it only works if you put your ego aside and have a student mindset. We will go over 9 Stoic Rules For Success. These rules were created over 2000 years ago and have been helpful to many people throughout history. I invite you to stay until the end to learn all the rules and apply them to your life.
Rule 1. Always a Student
For some reason, most guys online have a huge ego. They all say things like, be a leader, never a follower. The people that say this don't have a student mindset, because a student essentially is a follower. He follows his teacher's lessons. Listen, in order to become a great leader, you must also know how to be a great follower. We must all know when to shut up and let someone else more qualified lead us. For Epictetus, each one of us is both teacher and student. We are all on a path of self-improvement, but this path is not linear, it is a spiral. You follow someone ahead of you and someone follows you in turn. This idea that you are only a leader and never a follower is garbage. It's ego talk and it prevents you from being a good student. Humble yourself and adopt the student mindset.
Rule 2. Speak with the Dead
Zeno, the founder of stoicism, visited a wise man after losing all his wealth. He wanted to know what he should do to attain the best life. The wise man told Zeno to speak with the dead. What does that mean? Like with ghosts, go spend time chatting in a cemetery? No, of course not. The wise man was talking about reading, because it's through books that we really talk to people who are no longer with us. Their bodies may be rotting in the ground or long since turned to dust, but in the pages of a book they are alive and well. Listen, we can gain wisdom from both the living and the dead by reading. Both ancient and modern wisdom can be absorbed instantly and you would be a fool to not make use of it. I've put my top 25 book list in the link below. This contains the best books every man should read. Go to the link in the description down below to get it. Remember, not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers, so read.
Rule 3. Conquer Your Mornings
Marcus Aurelius was the Roman emperor. He was a great man looked up to by many, but in reality he was an ordinary man of flesh and blood, a mortal no different from you and me. You see, Marcus Aurelius had days where he felt lazy. He knew he needed to get out of bed, but he desired to stay under the warm covers. But what made him great is that he didn't fall into these temptations and failed to take care of his tasks early in the morning. He knew that winning the mornings was the key to winning the day and succeeding in life. Personally, I adopt two actions to have a productive morning. First, I write the most important tasks down the night before, so I don't have to think about what to do when I wake up. Second, I engage in physical activity, not necessarily intense sports, but moving my body to awaken my mind. After that, I get to action and attack the morning. Remember, keep things simple. You don't need a complex and long morning routine at all.
Rule 4. Ask Yourself If It's Necessary
Most guys focus on meaningless tasks. They do a lot of unimportant tasks and delay what they know deep down is the important work, and then convince themselves they've been productive. Listen, getting a lot of unnecessary things done is not productivity, it's stupidity, it's self-sabotage, and you will never accomplish anything big this way. Marcus Aurelius once said, the attention you give to any action should be in due proportion to its worth, meaning that if the task isn't worth much, you shouldn't give it much attention. We only have 24 hours in a day, so don't give too much attention to irrelevant tasks. Instead, delegate or ignore them while you focus on the important tasks that will really move the needle. The next time you're doing some task, I want you to ask yourself, is what I'm doing right now even important?
Rule 5. Focus on What's Under Your Control
So many guys worry about things outside of their control. They go crazy about issues like other people, politics, or problems with the modern world. Pathetic. The Stoics emphasize the importance of focusing on things we can control and letting go of what we cannot control. Understanding this will make you practical and prevent you from wasting time worrying about things that are not worth it, while you focus on things that actually make you achieve your goals.
Rule 6. Don't Suffer From Imaginary Problems
As men, it's natural to consider any potential problems and dangers. After all, life as a man isn't always sweet. But if we think carefully, most of the negative scenarios we imagine never happen. Seneca said, we are more often frightened than hurt, and we suffer more from imagination than reality. Try to focus on the present and maintain calmness. What you fear might happen is less likely to occur in the end.
Rule 7. Be Strict With Yourself And Tolerant With Others
It's essential to have strong principles and firm beliefs about what's right and wrong. But at the same time, we should be compassionate and forgiving towards others. This doesn't mean we tolerate unjust or malicious behavior, but rather we don't need to judge every individual that doesn't act exactly as we want. Leading by example is a more effective way to impact others positively.
Rule 8. Remember That You Die Every Day
Seneca mentioned that we often make the mistake of looking ahead to death, thinking it's an event far in the future. However, death is happening to us right now. Every moment that passes belongs to death. We are continually approaching it, and we'll never get back the time that's gone. Death is not distant, it's with us right now. Therefore, we must live while we can, not procrastinating, not leaving things unfinished, and making the most of our time while it's still ours.
Rule 9. Embrace The Storm
Things don't always happen as we want them to. Life is unpredictable, and even the great Marcus Aurelius faced challenges beyond his control. But he chose to see events positively and use them to his advantage. In life, both good and bad things will occur. Sunny days will come your way, but dark rainy days are also coming, and sometimes even a vicious storm will come your way. It's up to you to decide how to deal with them. Seek the positive side of what happens and see how you can use it to your advantage. Or live in constant frustration and regret.
By the way, if you want to level up in life, don't forget to show some love by hitting the like button. Until next time.
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