The Daily Stoic

The Secret To Happiness | How To Let Go And Stop Worrying (10 Stoic Tips)

Aug 8, 2023

What truly defines happiness? It’s portrayed as a byproduct of meaningful engagement rather than a simple chase. The discussion delves into Stoic wisdom, emphasizing that our perceptions can shape anxiety, urging a focus on what we can control. Hobbies are presented as vital escapes that foster inner peace, advocating for embracing vulnerability and learning from failures. Ultimately, happiness emerges from purpose and service, stripping away materialistic pursuits in favor of deeper fulfillment.

12:47

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Quick takeaways

Happiness is a byproduct of doing meaningful work and being of service to others.

Managing anxiety involves focusing on what is within our control and responding to challenges with courage and wisdom.

Deep dives

The Secret to Happiness is Work Worth Doing

The stoics believed that happiness was not something to be pursued directly, but rather a byproduct of doing meaningful work and being of service to others. They sought purpose in their lives and focused on tasks worth doing such as art, making scientific breakthroughs, fighting for causes, and fulfilling their duties. By prioritizing these endeavors, they experienced happiness, joy, contentment, pride, and satisfaction.

The Four Virtues of Stoicism

01:38

The Power of Having No Opinion

00:59

Intro

2min

The Nature of Happiness and the Acceptance of Uncertainty

2min

Mastering Anxiety Through Stoic Wisdom

4min

The Transformative Power of Hobbies and Inner Peace

7min

What is the secret to happiness?

It’s not an easy question to answer. And it might seem like the Stoics wouldn’t have a good answer either. Because it might seem like they didn’t have much fun, or experience much happiness. After all, they wrote repeatedly about the emptiness of chasing money or celebrity. They reminded themselves that fine wine is just rotten old grapes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean their lives were empty and joyless. By one definition of happiness, in fact, the Stoics were some of the happiest people to ever live.

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And in today's Daily Stoic video excerpt, Ryan shares Stoic methods for relieving and eliminating one of the destructive forces that our minds can conjure: worry. You can watch the video on the Daily Stoic YouTube channel.

🎧 Check out Ryan's interview with Gretchen Rubin here.

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