The Daily Stoic - You Always Have a Move to Make

Episode Date: August 17, 2018

Today you might find yourself dealing with something tough. Stuck in a new situation. Hit with a situation that’s been developing for some time, but only now is bringing you pain. In tight ...situations like these, you need energy, creativity and above all faith in yourself. Defeatism won’t get you anywhere (except defeat). Focusing your entire effort on the little bit of room, the tiny scrap of an opportunity, is your best shot. As Seneca put it, “Apply yourself to thinking through difficulties—hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure.” That’s not to say everything can magically be fixed. Seneca didn’t say that. He said hard times can be softened. A little room can be made. Blows can be blunted. But not if you give up. Not if you quit. Not if you tell yourself it’s somebody else’s fault and that it’s terribly unfair. You always have a move to make. There’s always something you can do. Even if that move is just making your peace. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke podcast early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today. Welcome to the Daily Stoke. For each day, we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good life. insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailystowick.com. You always have a move to make. Today, you might find yourself dealing with something tough, stuck in a new situation,
Starting point is 00:00:45 hit with a situation that's been developing for some time, but is only now bringing you pain. In tight situations like these, you need energy, creativity, and above all, faith in yourself. Defeatism won't get you anywhere except defeat. Focusing your entire effort on the little bit of room the tiny scrap of opportunity is your best shot. As Sena could put it, apply yourself to thinking through difficulties. Hard times can be softened, tight squeezes widened, and heavy loads made lighter for those who can apply the right pressure. That's not to say that everything can be magically
Starting point is 00:01:22 fixed. Sena didn't say that. He said hard times can be softened. say that everything can be magically fixed. Senaqa didn't say that. He said, hard times can be softened. A little room can be made. Blows can be blunted. But not if you give up. Not if you quit. Not if you tell yourself it's somebody else's fault. And that it's terribly unfair.
Starting point is 00:01:40 You always have a move to make. There's always something you can do. Even if that move is just making your piece Hey, prime members You can listen to the daily stoic early and ad-free on Amazon music You can listen to the Daily Stoic early and ad-free on Amazon Music, download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen early and ad-free with Wondery Plus in Apple podcasts.

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