Modern Meditations - Stoicism For The Real World

Experience Stoic literature first-hand by listening directly to the audiobook of Mediations by Marcus Aurelius. Book 8 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius contains absolute banger quotes such as: 8:16 "Remember that to change your opinion and to follow him who corrects your error is as consistent with freedom as it is to persist in your error." 8:22 "Attend to the matter which is before you, whether it is an opinion or an act or a word." 8:33 "Receive [wealth or prosperity] without arrogance, and be ready to let it go." 8:36 "Do not disturb yourself by thinking of the whole of your life. Do not let your thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which you may expect to befall you.." But don't let us decide which quotes are worthy of your thought and attention; listen and directly find the quotes that most resonate with you on your Stoic journey to building wisdom and character!

Happy Halloween! What a perfect time to discuss death! On this spooky holiday we open with Data asking Picard to grant him a gift... mortality. We discuss how we deal with mortality and why it is such a gift to be alive and that we all die. We go into how we can prepare for our own inevitable death. Part of that is destigmatizing death to not let it be a looming fear, but instead of provider of beauty and meaning. Can it be destigmatized too much? Possibly, but we think the pendulum is swung towards a fear of "tempting fate" by talking about it. How does Marcus respond to people thinking speaking about death is tempting fate? Find out in this episode! Special for Halloween, we combined the outro and Stoic reimagining with a longer story of "Death's Messengers" by Brothers Grimm, with a symphony playing Danse Macabre to set the tone. Death’s Messengers Fairy tale (original) - Story by Brothers Grimm (61) Danse macabre, Op. 40 - YouTube

Can we just say, "What a chapter?!" Book 7 has many riveting themes, including... Simplicity! Marcus says, "Always bear this in mind; and another thing too, that very little indeed is necessary for living a happy life." To explore that we compare how much it would cost to live the life of an Instagram Influencer compared to a simple life. The happiest *recorded* capacity for happiness was found in a man who lived in absolute simplicity, the lifestyle of a Buddhist monk. We use the Catchy Quaker Classic, Simple Gifts, as inspiration on what simplicity should bring, freedom. Aside from its catchiness, the song gives some great insights on living a simple life and how that will make life more cohesive. Elon Musk gives a practical formula for simplifying things in business which we extrapolate to simplifying life. Then Winston Churchill gives a great example of an "Autotelic" activity. For the Stoic Reimagining we thought we would challenge ourselves to simplify this episode. It may have worked too well...

Book 7 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius focuses on Stoic themes like living in harmony with nature, accepting the impermanence of life, and the importance of rationality. Marcus considers valuable things such as how little is necessary to living a happy life, what the perfection of moral character looks like, and how the more you dig for good within yourself the more it will bubble up. The chapter is a reminder to align actions with reason and find peace within oneself through disciplined living.

Your favorite Stoic podcast is back, as we work our way through Meditations Book 6 which is all about the unself. Marcus makes quite the claim in this chapter that “The only rewards of our existence here are an unstained character and unselfish acts..." But what does it mean to be unselfish? And why is it a reward? To answer these questions we explore some Buddhist tenants and a surgical procedure that will make you question whether you exist at all. Then we move through what Marcus suggest on how to live a happier more selfish existence. Stick around for the Stoic Reimagining, it’s um, life changing… Email us: Modernmeditationspodcast@gmail.com

Book 6 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius focuses on Stoic themes like living in harmony with nature, accepting the impermanence of life, and the importance of rationality. Marcus emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things, urging a life of virtue and inner tranquility despite external circumstances. He advocates for focusing on the present moment, maintaining humility, and valuing personal wisdom over fame or wealth. The chapter is a reminder to align actions with reason and find peace within oneself through disciplined living.

In Book 5 Marcus deals wrestles with the ideas of failure, imperfection and the love of a craft. To helps us deepen our understanding of how to view mistakes not as problems but as information and what it means to harmonize with nature we brought on Composer and friend of the podcast Matt Lees. In this episode we bring back the Lightening round, deeply go through the troubled yet amazing history of Ulysses S. Grant. We explore the tenacity that made Thomas Edison tick. Then go through what it means to slow practice, how to attack the 25% of our lives we don't want to change, and what it might sound like to be out of harmony with nature. And much more!

In Book 5 of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reflects on themes of duty, self-discipline, and the transience of life. He emphasizes the importance of rising each day with purpose, fulfilling one's responsibilities with a sense of duty, and aligning actions with nature and reason. The book encourages focusing on the present moment, controlling impulses, and finding contentment in simple, virtuous living. Marcus also discusses the inevitability of death and the need to accept it as a natural part of life, urging readers to live with integrity and humility.

Woah. This is quite the episode exploring themes from the Meditations Book 4. We deep dive into both Marcus's advice to be like a blazing fire, and Bruce Lee's advice to be water my friend. And a big part of both is working with the experiences that we're given to become, new vocab alert "Anti Fragile." We also have a brief therapy session with Justin about a person that stole his winter coat who he had revenge fantasy's about until he decided to take a more Stoic path. We of course wrote a new song about one of the verses from this chapter about being harmonious with the universe. And as if that wasn't enough we also invited our friends Joe Biden and Donald Trump onto the podcast for a Stoic coaching section. (Because we all know the biggest part of any election is getting the Stoic Vote.

In this episode, we delve into Book 4 of Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations," a cornerstone of Stoic philosophy. Join us as we explore themes of self-discipline, the transient nature of life, and the importance of inner peace. Marcus reflects on the impermanence of the material world, urging us to focus on our inner virtues and live in harmony with nature. Through his introspective writings, he guides us to embrace the present, act justly, and maintain equanimity in the face of life's challenges. Tune in for a thought-provoking journey into the mind of one of history's greatest philosophers.

Diogenes the Cynic a predecessor to Stoicism and Alexander the Great were cut from very different cloths, but when Alexander the Great came to Diogenes their supposed meeting gave us one of the most legendary favors ever asked for of a king. Bruce recaps his time in his hammock and in nature. We discuss the shocking revelations that Bruce unearthed during Bruce-Con, his annual conference of just himself. We go in depth about opinions, the Stoic views on opinions as expressed by Marcus Aurelius and their inability to affect the world around us. Just as Bruce's opinions about the sun's presence (annoyance or affection) didn't change the sun's positioning in the sky, so our opinions don't affect the things in the world, nor do other's opinions of us need to affect us.

Join us in this episode as we present a reading of Book 3 from Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations." This chapter offers profound insights into the fleeting nature of life, the importance of living according to reason and nature, and the virtues of self-discipline and simplicity. Marcus reflects on the inevitability of death and encourages embracing the present moment. He emphasizes the need for inner tranquility through rational thinking and the alignment of one's actions with the natural order. Listen in as we explore these timeless stoic teachings and how they can inspire a virtuous and fulfilling life.

This week we dive into Book 2 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, we begin with Justin’s current sparing partner for equanimity, namely his Kia catching on fire. Then we move into the acronym: M.O.M.A which breaks down the four main ways that Marcus discusses that the soul can do violence to itself. But, because we don’t dwell on the negative, we then move into B.E.T.R. Which is the remedy to soul violence. All of that work helps prepare us to live in cooperation with others and we discuss the beauty of Interdependence. For the Stoic Reimagining we introduce you to the quirky yet powerful “Benjamin Franklin Effect.”

As part of our Meditations Series we are reading George Long's translation of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius in an Audiobook format. In Book 2 of "Meditations," Marcus Aurelius delves into Stoic philosophy, emphasizing acceptance of death, the impermanence of life, and the pursuit of inner peace through rationality and virtue. He discusses the importance of mindfulness, fulfilling one's duties, and understanding our interconnectedness with others. This book serves as a guide to living a meaningful life by focusing on personal growth, self-awareness, and gratitude. It's timeless wisdom on navigating life's challenges with grace and resilience. Next week we'll be back with our regular format to discuss themes from this chapter.

How do you go from getting a knee surgery to qualify to going to the Olympics in less than 12 months? In honor of Book 1 of Meditations this week we are talking about some of the heroes in our lives and what we've learned from them. Bruce chronicles the story of watching his friend become an Olympian and Justin recounts an authority figure he actually respects (who would've guessed?) Then for our Stoic reimagining we take you into the show of "Dear Marcus" where a clueless radio show host David Monroe helps (or tries to help) everyday people with their Stoic challenges. Stick around for the whole show! It's a good one.

This week we explore the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Book 1, and in the words that Justin says at the book club that Bruce wasn't invited to, "What a Chapter!" We pull apart 11 different phrases from the first chapter of what we would like to be. We discuss the forgotten art of learning from the best in other people, and how to find joy in learning from other people's virtues. Then as a treat at the end of the episode for our Stoic Reimagining we share with you some exotic outtakes of some of the more experimental versions we tried of reading Meditations...

As part of our Meditations Series we are reading George Long's translation of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius in an Audiobook format. Next week we'll be back with our regular format to discuss themes from this chapter.

30 episodes in and we are finally ready to officially introduce you to Marcus Aurelius himself. In this episode we give you a bio of Marcus's life from beginning to end so that you can have a better understanding of who he was and why he wrote the Meditations. This episode kicks off "Meditations" series, where we will start by reading you a chapter from The Meditations and then on the next episode we will explore themes and takeaways. We also explain why The Meditations is a book that has maintained relevance for close to two thousand years, and how to get the most out of reading it. At the end we debunk some of the funny (and bizarre fake history) that we found while researching Marcus. As well as debunking a Steve Jobs letter that he supposedly wrote at the end of his life.

The Equanimity Series comes to a close as Justin and Bruce discuss the "Final Remedy" that Seneca teaches his friend about-- Confidence. Marcus Aurelius' ascension to the throne and the tools he used to build confidence within himself in preparation for ruling Rome. After all the tools we have talked about for building equanimity, we talk about how to build confidence in our abilities to cultivate equanimity. We go over some examples of what confidence is not through a song by JP Saxe and Elizabeth Holmes changing her voice. Bruce explains some principles of confidence from his book recommendation of 2024 "The Confident Mind" and how those can be applied to having more confidence in our own equanimity. We end with a quote from Seneca about What the product of virtue is... For the Stoic Reimagining we interview random people to see what people know about Marcus Aurelius and of course if people like tennis or running better...

We take a brief departure from our study of Equanimity to recap the celebration of the Stoic holiday (we invented) called "Aurelmas" and then introduce you to the world's (probably) first Stoic Rap. Special audio clips from Aurelmas are heard throughout to help feel what it would be like to throw a stone at a ship or to smash a mug into a bucket. The tantalizing sounds of the mugs breaking and people cheering cap off this celebratory day and episode! Aurelmas Playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/aurelmas/pl.u-Ldbqer5t2Na95Al