3 Stoic Maxims I Keep Close

Stoic teachings I live by

Photo by Alexandros Giannakakis on Unsplash

“A Stoic is someone who transforms fear into prudence, pain into transformation, mistakes into initiation, and desire into undertaking.” — Taleb Nassim Nicholas.

I believe in the power of perspective. I want to see the world as it is, not as I wish it to be. The Stoics didn’t just study philosophy; they lived it. They saw life differently. And believed the mind is the focus of reality.

Not the world outside. Not other people.

Just you and how your mental reality respond to life.

I love these three Stoic maxims. They’ve completely changed my perspective on life. These stoic ideas are not just clever thoughts. They are tools that change how you respond to life.

You have the power to see things as they are

But the mind gets in the way. It judges, distorts, and creates imaginary stories. Those stories define and sometimes blind us to reality.

Apart from the mind, emotion, bias, and fear can also get in the way of seeing things as they are.

Marcus Aurelius said, “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”