1 00:00:00,140 --> 00:00:05,600 Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a prominent Roman philosopher and playwright who published several 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:11,510 essential works about Stoicism. He counselled Emperor Nero, and is often credited with rendering 3 00:00:11,510 --> 00:00:18,230 Stoicism more accessible to a larger audience. His letters, writings, and thoughts have influenced 4 00:00:18,230 --> 00:00:24,520 centuries of thinkers. His widely popular collection of writings, Letters from a Stoic, 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:30,720 contains his view of what the good life is — and how to attain it. So here are 10 important 6 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,489 lessons that we can learn from Seneca. 7 00:00:33,489 --> 00:00:40,500 1. Exercise your mind daily Seneca says “As long as you live, keep learning 8 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:43,280 how to live.” 9 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,280 Developing our inner selves is a lifelong process that we must always work at. Determining 10 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:53,640 ways to improve our selves and finding happiness were among the aims of Seneca for humanity. 11 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,679 We always put off self-improvement practices because we believe we don’t have enough 12 00:00:57,679 --> 00:01:03,360 time. We often find the thought of meditating more stressful than usual when we are busy. 13 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:08,890 Seneca insists that these are not worthy excuses. We should treat working on our inner self 14 00:01:08,890 --> 00:01:14,840 is a full time job, not something we should ignore in favour of other tasks. One of the 15 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:21,650 first steps to improving ourselves is recognizing our own flaws. None of us are perfect, and 16 00:01:21,650 --> 00:01:26,759 identifying which areas of ourselves we need to work on is crucial. Sometimes, as people 17 00:01:26,759 --> 00:01:33,110 go through their journeys in life, their perspectives and beliefs change. This particularly happens 18 00:01:33,110 --> 00:01:38,630 when someone proves that his previous beliefs were based on erroneous or false pretences. 19 00:01:38,630 --> 00:01:45,510 From then he can improve and move on. As long as we live, we are learning — either unconsciously, 20 00:01:45,510 --> 00:01:51,549 or consciously. Your mind is the most important and the most enduring tool that you have, 21 00:01:51,549 --> 00:01:57,369 hence you always can and should make the time for your mental health. No matter what phase 22 00:01:57,369 --> 00:02:02,930 you are in life, you can start learn a new skill, take a new class, meditate or read 23 00:02:02,930 --> 00:02:07,820 improvement books. These books are written by experts that provide an array of selections 24 00:02:07,820 --> 00:02:12,820 to express and share their knowledge and knowhow. Exploring these highly recommended materials 25 00:02:12,820 --> 00:02:18,620 can enrich your own need to learn and grow. Exercise your mind every day by doing things 26 00:02:18,620 --> 00:02:20,840 that stretch you. 27 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:27,150 2. Heal Yourself Seneca tells us “Two elements must be rooted 28 00:02:27,150 --> 00:02:33,510 out once for all - the fear of future suffering, and the recollection of past suffering; since 29 00:02:33,510 --> 00:02:38,730 the latter no longer concerns me, and the former concerns me not yet”. 30 00:02:38,730 --> 00:02:43,040 According to Seneca, the two biggest causes of suffering include fearing the future and 31 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,800 regretting the past. Our future is uncertain, nor is it in our 32 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:54,640 control and fearing too much about our future will only bring us dread, anxiety and suffering. 33 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:59,780 The truth is whatever happens you will have the strength to survive, and even become stronger. 34 00:02:59,780 --> 00:03:04,570 So the next time something horrible happens to yourself, tell yourself: “Perhaps this 35 00:03:04,570 --> 00:03:09,849 sorrow might one day bring delight.” We regret the past because we want to avoid 36 00:03:09,849 --> 00:03:14,709 those mistakes in the future. Instead, we should just reflect on the past, learn our 37 00:03:14,709 --> 00:03:21,349 lessons, and move on. The problem is too many of us have something like a virus in our brain. 38 00:03:21,349 --> 00:03:25,291 Imagine the space we hold all of our baggage in as a glass and you will realise that most 39 00:03:25,291 --> 00:03:31,830 of us have a crack in that glass. These cracks come from sad life experiences or abusive 40 00:03:31,830 --> 00:03:35,030 relationships and dysfunctional relationships that have caused us some kind of trauma or 41 00:03:35,030 --> 00:03:40,890 pain. And since none of us enter into our adulthood in the most ideal way, we all have 42 00:03:40,890 --> 00:03:46,290 some sort of a crack. These cracks act like viruses that keep replaying these horrible 43 00:03:46,290 --> 00:03:51,519 memories from our past in our minds. We need to repair these cracks or else we cannot move 44 00:03:51,519 --> 00:03:55,951 forward in our lives. The good news is that this mental virus could 45 00:03:55,951 --> 00:04:02,620 be cured by seeing a therapist, studying philosophy, or by reading books. If we avoid regretting 46 00:04:02,620 --> 00:04:07,040 our past, and don’t not fear the future we will become indestructible. 47 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:15,640 3. When Hungry Eat, When Tired Sleep In the words of Seneca “True happiness is 48 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:20,650 to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future” 49 00:04:20,650 --> 00:04:25,250 The undisclosed reality of physical and mental wellbeing is simply to live in the present 50 00:04:25,250 --> 00:04:30,670 time prudently and with enthusiasm. But how often do we rush to finish something so that 51 00:04:30,670 --> 00:04:34,940 we can then rush to work on the next thing on our list? How often do we spend an evening 52 00:04:34,940 --> 00:04:39,630 worrying about tomorrow, instead of relaxing? How often HAVE YOU CAUGHT YOURSELF in the 53 00:04:39,630 --> 00:04:44,400 middle of a perfectly wonderful moment thinking about what you’re going to do next? In the 54 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,520 book, Out of Your Mind by Alan Watts, Watts shares this conversation between a zen master 55 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:55,520 and his student in which the student once asks a wise zen master how to achieve zen. 56 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:01,110 The master replied, “eat when you’re hungry, and sleep when you’re tired.” The student, 57 00:05:01,110 --> 00:05:06,410 completely confused, responded, “isn’t that what people do already?” The zen master 58 00:05:06,410 --> 00:05:11,780 replied, “no, people don’t just eat, but think of 10,000 things, and people don’t 59 00:05:11,780 --> 00:05:16,490 just sleep, but dream innumerable dreams. We let our mind wander off to the next big 60 00:05:16,490 --> 00:05:21,040 thing or the memories we hold onto from years ago while missing out on all of the things 61 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:25,670 happening around you right now. The next thing you know, you’re living that moment you 62 00:05:25,670 --> 00:05:30,270 were thinking about so longingly yesterday, but your mind has moved on to tomorrow or 63 00:05:30,270 --> 00:05:35,750 is stuck in a moment from two weeks ago. So challenge yourself to start living in the 64 00:05:35,750 --> 00:05:38,720 present, starting now. 65 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:45,680 4. Seek your own Applause To quote Seneca “Be your own spectator; 66 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,310 seek your own applause” 67 00:05:48,310 --> 00:05:53,290 As humans we seek the approval of others. We live in a society that has a “somebody 68 00:05:53,290 --> 00:05:59,370 or nobody” mentality that makes it so that many people have an inferiority complex. The 69 00:05:59,370 --> 00:06:04,380 problem is that the more we desire the approval of others, the more we become a slave to them. 70 00:06:04,380 --> 00:06:10,540 No matter how hard we try we can never please 100% of others. Instead we need to seek to 71 00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:17,030 please ourselves. We need to live a life according to our own personal code of ethics and morals. 72 00:06:17,030 --> 00:06:21,950 We need to act as if you were part of nature. There are no rich or poor trees in nature, 73 00:06:21,950 --> 00:06:29,580 but just balance. By all means, set big goals, have role models, and strive to achieve greatness. 74 00:06:29,580 --> 00:06:34,380 But remember if you spend just one minute thinking about what others think about you, 75 00:06:34,380 --> 00:06:39,280 you’ll end up feeling like the poorest man on Earth. Foster the kind of self-love and 76 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:43,510 respect that makes it possible for you to be comfortable in your own company - to be 77 00:06:43,510 --> 00:06:49,090 your greatest self, and to be happy with who you are. You can do this by looking at yourself 78 00:06:49,090 --> 00:06:55,380 in the mirror. Are you pleased with the person you’re looking at? If so, keep moving forward, 79 00:06:55,380 --> 00:07:00,900 if not, see what you can change in your life to become the person you strive to be. 80 00:07:00,900 --> 00:07:07,680 5. Learn the art of contentment According to Seneca “It is not the man who 81 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,380 has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.” 82 00:07:12,380 --> 00:07:17,370 Seneca was one of the richest men in the entire Roman Empire, yet he mostly lived the life 83 00:07:17,370 --> 00:07:23,680 of a pauper. He kept his wealth, yet he imagined everyday like it could disappear. This allowed 84 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:28,310 him to have freedom to philosophize on life, yet prevented him from becoming a slave to 85 00:07:28,310 --> 00:07:31,400 his wealth. The fact that you are watching this video 86 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,710 means that you are probably living in a modern or a developing society where the basics like 87 00:07:35,710 --> 00:07:40,500 a decent place to live, basic clothes, an internet connection, a smartphone, a laptop, 88 00:07:40,500 --> 00:07:46,670 and food is easily attainable. But yet we want more. The biggest disease we have in 89 00:07:46,670 --> 00:07:52,610 today’s society is the desire of luxury. We believe if we have more, and that we can 90 00:07:52,610 --> 00:07:58,110 have more time, the things will be better. Doing things we love will be easier. Raising 91 00:07:58,110 --> 00:08:03,040 our kids will be simpler. Spending time with our loved ones will become effortless. 92 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:08,670 While that sounds practical, in truth, that isn’t how the world works. In reality, it’s 93 00:08:08,670 --> 00:08:13,610 the other way around — most super rich people have miserable families, full of anxiety and 94 00:08:13,610 --> 00:08:18,110 stress, and every facet of their life has become more complex than ever. There comes 95 00:08:18,110 --> 00:08:23,340 a point when material success becomes a hindrance rather than an advantage because earning a 96 00:08:23,340 --> 00:08:27,830 lot of money takes a lot of time, a lot of energy, and a lot of mental and emotional 97 00:08:27,830 --> 00:08:32,400 space. The moment we want something else, we suddenly lose appreciation for what we 98 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,890 already have. 99 00:08:34,890 --> 00:08:41,670 6. Live for others As we learn from Seneca “You must live for 100 00:08:41,670 --> 00:08:45,450 your neighbour, if you would live for yourself” 101 00:08:45,450 --> 00:08:51,940 Ghandi. Mandela. Mother Theresa. None of them ever said “I wish I could have spent more 102 00:08:51,940 --> 00:08:58,910 of my time living for myself.” The purpose of their life was to empower others. We too 103 00:08:58,910 --> 00:09:03,860 can help out our friends, people in our community, and especially those who are weaker and less 104 00:09:03,860 --> 00:09:10,240 fortunate then yourself. Many individuals out there are sad, miserable, and lost. They 105 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,980 need your love. When you perform good deeds for people, then you shouldn’t be asking 106 00:09:14,980 --> 00:09:20,030 for payment even in the form of gratitude. The act of giving back is an indirect way 107 00:09:20,030 --> 00:09:24,860 of giving to ourselves. We become the true recipients of living for others, and it’s 108 00:09:24,860 --> 00:09:29,930 a win-win for everyone. Regardless of your situation in life, you 109 00:09:29,930 --> 00:09:35,500 can always help others. You can help others by giving them advice, by giving them a listening 110 00:09:35,500 --> 00:09:41,160 ear, or giving them a hug, or words of encouragement. You can donate items that you don’t use 111 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:46,430 anymore, whether it’s clothes or household appliances. You can also donate your time 112 00:09:46,430 --> 00:09:51,460 and effort by volunteering at places all over your city. Often the way we can help others 113 00:09:51,460 --> 00:09:55,590 the most isn’t through our money or resources, but with our heart. 114 00:09:55,590 --> 00:10:03,250 7. Boldly face the struggles of life Seneca says “He should put his whole heart 115 00:10:03,250 --> 00:10:08,700 into fighting against them. Let us overcome all things, with our reward consisting of 116 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:14,620 moral worth, strength of spirit, and peace that is won forever once in any contest adversity 117 00:10:14,620 --> 00:10:19,810 has been utterly defeated.’” Seneca tells us that how we perceive our suffering 118 00:10:19,810 --> 00:10:25,700 is far more important than the suffering itself. It rains on everyone. It’s what you do about 119 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:31,220 it that matters most. In our personal lives, and on a global scale, we face challenges 120 00:10:31,220 --> 00:10:37,430 like injury, illness, unemployment, grief, divorce, death or even a new venture with 121 00:10:37,430 --> 00:10:42,920 an unknown future. The truth is majority of us let these problems defeat us through our 122 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:49,170 feelings of anger, fear and anxiety. These negative approach makes us too paralysed to 123 00:10:49,170 --> 00:10:53,750 move forward and take a step in resolving the problem. On the one hand you can see a 124 00:10:53,750 --> 00:10:59,170 setback as a failure. On the other, you can take it as a lesson and use it as fuel towards 125 00:10:59,170 --> 00:11:04,870 greater effort in the future. You can see a long line as an inconvenience. Or you can 126 00:11:04,870 --> 00:11:10,540 see it as an opportunity to practice patience. You can see a rejection as a permanent mark 127 00:11:10,540 --> 00:11:16,740 of your inability. Or you can see it is a stepping stone in your journey to greatness. 128 00:11:16,740 --> 00:11:21,690 When you have the right attitude, nothing can stop you. When you have the wrong attitude, 129 00:11:21,690 --> 00:11:24,190 almost anything can. 130 00:11:24,190 --> 00:11:31,010 8. Find an anchor, be an anchor In the word of Seneca “Associate with people 131 00:11:31,010 --> 00:11:36,630 who are likely to improve you. Welcome those whom you are capable of improving. The process 132 00:11:36,630 --> 00:11:40,870 is a mutual one; men learn as they teach” 133 00:11:40,870 --> 00:11:46,580 Seneca urges us to choose a role model to provide a standard to live by. There is something 134 00:11:46,580 --> 00:11:52,120 powerful in having such an anchor because he can open your eyes to what’s possible. 135 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,870 The person of your choosing can provide you with principles that can help you navigate 136 00:11:55,870 --> 00:12:00,670 even the most difficult and treacherous circumstances as well as standards against which you can 137 00:12:00,670 --> 00:12:04,230 judge your behaviour on a day-to-day basis. 138 00:12:04,230 --> 00:12:09,880 Likewise, when you find people who are genuinely eager to grow, and you can help them, help 139 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:15,810 them. Be an anchor for them. At any phase of your career, you will always find someone 140 00:12:15,810 --> 00:12:22,600 asking for your wisdom. You will always have someone to inspire. It could be your own kid, 141 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:27,630 your junior at work, your friend, or someone who wants to get connected to you for your 142 00:12:27,630 --> 00:12:32,500 experience. This will develop your leadership skills as well as help others learn, grow, 143 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:37,320 and improve their skills. It will be personally fulfilling experience for you that you've 144 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:42,600 directly contributed to someone's growth and development. Seeing your mentee succeed as 145 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,060 a result of your input is a reward in itself. 146 00:12:46,060 --> 00:12:54,720 9. Don’t just live long, live wide As we learn from Seneca “So you must not 147 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:59,530 think a man has lived long because he has white hair and wrinkles: he has not lived 148 00:12:59,530 --> 00:13:03,020 long, just existed long” 149 00:13:03,020 --> 00:13:08,500 In his moral essay, On the Shortness of Life, Seneca, offers us an urgent reminder on the 150 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:14,210 non-renewability of our most important resource: our time. 151 00:13:14,210 --> 00:13:18,779 Seneca believed that life was long for those who did not squander their time. Most of the 152 00:13:18,779 --> 00:13:23,850 time, we are not actually living life but simply existing — allowing life to happen 153 00:13:23,850 --> 00:13:30,300 to us rather than taking the reins to live the lives we want to live. We only live long, 154 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:35,680 not wide because our lives are filled with business and stress. We often get obsessed 155 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:41,130 and addicted throughout our lives with things that bring us short-term pleasures. We get 156 00:13:41,130 --> 00:13:49,029 greedy for power, fame, money, prestige and status. Seneca urges us to examine these problems 157 00:13:49,029 --> 00:13:54,231 that result in life seeming to pass by too quickly. He is essentially prompting us to 158 00:13:54,231 --> 00:14:00,800 question our lives and ask: What proof do I have that I’m really alive? Many of us 159 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:06,310 are living what might as well be considered a life of mere existence: lazing around and 160 00:14:06,310 --> 00:14:11,520 wasting our potential. The truth is life is moving through its course, whether you like 161 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:18,820 it or not. Your time is valuable, and it’s the only thing that you cannot ever get back. 162 00:14:18,820 --> 00:14:24,600 But life can be long if you use your time deliberately and carefully. Life can be fulfilling 163 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:29,820 if you invest your time in actual living, which is by studying philosophy, being in 164 00:14:29,820 --> 00:14:34,830 control of yourself, working towards goals that are important to you and not putting 165 00:14:34,830 --> 00:14:37,980 off the enjoyment of life for the future. 166 00:14:37,980 --> 00:14:44,060 10. Create your own philosophy And finally for this video Seneca teaches 167 00:14:44,060 --> 00:14:49,241 us “When a mind is impressionable and has none too firm a hold on what is right, it 168 00:14:49,241 --> 00:14:54,580 must be rescued from the crowd; it is so easy for it to go over to the majority” 169 00:14:54,580 --> 00:15:00,150 Every day you spend too much time on social media or being around people that tell you 170 00:15:00,150 --> 00:15:04,500 how you should think, what you should believe, how you should act, and what you should do 171 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:09,800 with your precious time. It’s up to you to protect yourself from this influence — the 172 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:14,000 influence of the masses, as Seneca called it. 173 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,860 Just because most people do something doesn't mean it’s worth imitating. 174 00:15:18,860 --> 00:15:23,480 Many people spend too much money in buying luxuries they don’t need. 175 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,290 Most people aren’t grateful for what they have. 176 00:15:26,290 --> 00:15:31,940 Most of them spend a lot of time in life’s trivialities and get nothing done. 177 00:15:31,940 --> 00:15:37,620 If you wish to have same results as everyone else, then by all means, be a follower. Or 178 00:15:37,620 --> 00:15:44,480 you can be a student, decide what to believe, and create a path that is yours alone. Seneca 179 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:49,290 recognized that if we are to live well, we must be constant students of the greatest 180 00:15:49,290 --> 00:15:54,070 subject of all - life itself. 181 00:15:54,070 --> 00:15:57,970 If you enjoyed this video, please do make sure to check out our Stoicism playlist and 182 00:15:57,970 --> 00:16:02,490 for more videos to help you find success and happiness using ancient philosophical wisdom, 183 00:16:02,490 --> 00:16:06,130 don’t forget to subscribe. Thank you so much for watching.