“Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing.” — Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, 7.1.26 Our character is determined by all the small choices we make day in and day out. Someone with questionable character can make one large, grandiose gesture that is recognised by all…

Without it, there is no safe place for them to practice skills for adulthood. — Ten years ago, I lived in a small rural town in southern Queensland. It was big enough to have multiple grocery stores, a library, a movie theatre, an aquatic center, and a few other amenities. There were lots of places for adults to hang with their friends — social clubs…

“The task of a philosopher: we should bring our will intoharmonyy with whatever happens, so thatnothingn happens against our will and nothing that we wish for fails to happen.” — Epictetus, Discourses, 2.14.7 Life is a privilege filled with many, MANY privileges. I don’t have to own a car. I…

“Never shirk the proper dispatch of your duty, no matter if you are freezing or hot, groggy or well-rested, vilified or praised, not even if dying or pressed by other demands. Even dying is one of the important assignments of life and in this as in all else, make the…

“Whatever anyone does or says, for my part I’m bound to the good. In the same way an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim: ‘whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colors.’” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditation, 7.15 — We all define what is good by our own metrics. We have personal values and societal norms that shape our definition of good. Once we have that definition in place, we are duty-bound to always do what is good. Our job is to do good. …

“While it’s true that someone can impede our actions, they can’t impede our intentions and our attitudes, which have the power of being conditional and adaptable. For the mind adapts and converts any obstacle to its action into a means of achieving it. That which is an impediment to action…

“It is possible to curb your arrogance, to overcome pleasure and pain, to rise above your ambition, and to not be angry with stupid and ungrateful people — yes, even to care for them.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.8 In today’s quote, Marcus is reminding himself to be the better…

“How does it help, my husband, to make misfortune heavier by complaining about it? This is more fit for a king — to seize your adversities head on. The more precarious his situation, the more imminent his fall from power, the more firmly he should be resolved to stand and…

“What assistance can we find in the fight against habit? Try the opposite!” — Epictetus, Discourses, 1.27.4 If THIS (insert any specific behaviour, habit, routine) isn’t getting us the desired outcome, then rather than just focusing on breaking that habit, replace it with something completely different and incompatible. If you…