Inner Peace

Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The Stoics believed that the practice of virtue is enough to achieve eudaimonia: a well-lived life. The Stoics identified the path to achieving it with a life spent practicing the four virtues in everyday life: wisdom, courage, temperance or moderation, and justice, and living in accordance with nature. It was founded in the ancient Agora of Athens by Zeno of Citium around 300 BC.

Flourished: Grow, evolve, develop Virtue: Goodness, righteousness, morality Temperance/Moderation: modesty, simplicity, humility B.C. : Before Christ meaning before the birth of Christ. For example, a time period written as 200 B.C. means 200 years before the birth of Christ.

Stoicism encourages people to focus on what they can control and accept what they cannot, leading to emotional resilience and inner strength. This mindset helps individuals manage stress, setbacks and uncertainties effectively. The Stoics believed that the person who has achieved perfect consistency in the operation of his rational faculties, the “wise man,” is extremely rare, yet serves as a prescriptive ideal for all. The Stoics believed that progress toward this noble goal is both possible and vitally urgent.

Setbacks: decline Faculty: power/ability/capability Prescriptive: Ideal way/rule

Composed: Calm impulse: sudden urge or reaction ephemeral: something that lasts for a very short time. e.g. specifically: a plant that grows, flowers, and dies in a few days. Cease: Stop

DO STOICS GET HAPPY? Stoicism has a special name for happiness: eudaimonia. More than just happiness as we know it colloquially, eudaimonia is an internal state of being achieved through composed reactions and contentment in the present moment. DO STOICS FALL IN LOVE? A Stoic would love, without any expectation from what would come from the other party. They would just focus on what do they need to do to on their part and let nature show the outcome. DO STOICS GET ANGRY? The goal of Stoicism is to attain inner peace by overcoming adversity, practicing self-control, being conscious of our impulses, realizing our ephemeral nature and the short time allotted—these were all meditative practices that helped them live with their nature and not against it. DO STOICS GREIVE Let your tears flow, but also let them cease, let deepest sighs be drawn from your chest, but let them find an end. Grief is to be faced and processed, not avoided nor suppressed.

When did the last time you cry? Why did you cry? How did you calm yourself down? Do you think you have found your inner peace? What thing do you think too much? What has your religion taught you about inner peace?