Stoic Coffee Break

This week's episode is a chapter from my book, Stoicism 101. It's the chapter about Seneca the Younger, one of the most famous Stoic philosophers and writers.  Seneca is remembered as one of the most popular stoic philosophers, partly because a lot of his writings survived and were passed through antiquity. But how much do you know about Seneca? Well, in this episode, you're going to learn some mo...

This week I dive into philosophy, life, music, and addiction with my friend Derrick Zaworski. Derrick is a music producer and owner of Road Tripping Records. Derrick and I have been friends for several years and we've always enjoyed deep and interesting conversations, so I thought it would be worthwhile to get one of those conversations on record. I hope you enjoy! Send us Fan Mail The Build an Un...

Do you ever think about your future self? How would your choices in the present change if you took the time to consider those choices would impact future you? Today I want to talk about the power of getting to know the future you. “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” — Epictetus Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discip...

Do we have free will or are we destined to our fate? Do the Stoics believe that we have free will or are our lives pre-determined? Does is matter? Today I’m going to talk about the Stoic ideas behind free will and fate, and how it does or doesn’t impact our lives.  “Lead me, Fate, wherever you will, and I will cheerfully follow. For even if I kick and wail, all the same I must follow.” —Cleanthes...

What if I told you that the thing you’re avoiding… is exactly the thing you need most? Today we’re going about why comfort might be the biggest lie we believe, and how leaning into resistance can actually be the path to everything you want. “The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”  ― Confucius Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building...

In this week's episode, I take some time to answer a few questions: - What should I do when someone criticizes me and I know they’re right? - How do I know if I’m actually making progress in my personal growth—or just spinning my wheels? - What would Marcus Aurelius say about social media? - What’s one way I secretly avoid discomfort—even though I talk about embracing it? “Or is it your reputation...

Empathy has been called everything from a virtue to a weakness to a sin. But in an age of outrage, is empathy a liability? Or is it the very thing we need to preserve civilization? In this week's episode I talk about the importance of empathy and why we need more, not less empathy in the world. “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” —Seneca Send us Fan Mail The Bu...

The Stoics place a premium on rationality and objectivity to help manage our emotions. But how do we develop that objectivity? Why should we practice become more objective? In this week’s episode we’re going to dive into those questions and talk about how you can be more objective. “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response...

What if your biggest obstacle in life isn’t a lack of knowledge, but something else? What if this one attribute is the one thing that can help you truly excel in life? In this episode, I want discuss what I think is the greatest attribute that any person should have who wants improve themselves and how to develop it. “I’m am neither clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.” —Alb...

How often to you spend time worrying about everything that is happening in the world? How can you create more joy into your life? Can a Stoic be happy and joyful? Today I want to talk about Stoicism and joy. “A cheerful disposition and serenity of mind are not the result of luck but of wisdom.” — Seneca ( Here's the link to the sunshine video! ) Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind progr...

In times of political division, it’s easy to be swept away by anger, resentment, and fear. But what does that accomplish? Does your anger towards those that disagree with you help yourself or the world? In this episode I want to talk about the importance of maintaining your Stoic principles in times of turmoil. “The essence of good and evil consists in the condition of our character. And externals...

Stoicism is a very personal and practical philosophy. But what would a company look like that implemented some of the ideas from Stoic philosophy? In this episode, I interview Geoff Roberts the CEO of Outseta. Many of the operating principles run counterintuitive to the conventional wisdom of how most companies are managed, and they've been quite successful.  While Geoff isn't a deliberate Stoic,...

Are you happy? Do you struggle when life doesn’t go the way you want? Today I want to talk about why we as humans are great at making ourselves unhappy, and some ideas the Stoics gave us to make our lives better.  “Man is not disturbed by things, but by the views he takes of them.”  — Epictetus Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for en...

This weeks episode is an interview with Dr. Erik Fisher. Erik is the host of the Emotional Algebra podcast, and works with patients and clients to manage their emotions in a way that is very similar to Stoicism. We had a great and wide ranging conversation about emotions, trauma, and how become more emotionally resilient. Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental d...

Are you confused about the different teachings of Stoicism you find on the internet? Would the Stoics advocate for the “hyper-masculine” culture that uses Stoicism to support some approaches to stress, dating, and how to treat others? Today I want to talk about how Stoicism can be misused, and clear up some of the misconceptions of Stoicism been propagated by what some have called “Broicism”. “The...

 Are you worried about finances? Do you struggle when you have a political conversation with somebody and it becomes heated? Do you worry about failing at life? Well, these are three questions that I'm going to answer today in another Q& A episode.  “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” — Will Rogers Send us Fan Mail Th...

Self-made success, individual freedom, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps—these ideas have become the cornerstone of many modern cultures, especially in the West. But is this individualistic mindset really working for us? Today, we’re taking a look at why excessive individualism can be harmful, how it isolates us, and what Stoicism has to say about our interconnectedness and shared humanity. “...

We all suffer heartbreak from time to time. It’s an inevitable part of life with other people. So how can we use Stoicism to help us move past a broken heart? Today, we’re going to discuss how this ancient philosophy has some great tools to mend and move forward. ”There can be no doubt that the desire lovers have for each other is not so very different from friendship - you might say it was friend...

As the new year begins, there is always a push to make resolutions and plans. Do you know what you want to accomplish next year? Do you have goals that you want to pursue? How do you plan on accomplishing them? Today I want to talk about some ideas about how you can more successful in achieving the things you want. ”Life is long if you know how to use it.”  —Seneca Send us Fan Mail The Build an Un...

Imagine a bowl, cracked and seemingly useless. Most of us would toss it out. But what if, instead, those cracks were mended with gold, transforming the broken object into something even more beautiful than before? This is the art of kintsugi, a Japanese philosophy that teaches us how to embrace flaws and failures as opportunities for growth and transformation. Today, we’ll explore how this perspec...

Have you ever tried to change someone’s mind, only to find them doubling down on their belief instead? Or maybe you’ve felt your own defenses rise when someone challenges your deeply held views? That’s the backfire effect in action—a cognitive bias where contradictory evidence only strengthens someone’s existing beliefs. Today, we’ll explore how Stoicism can help us recognize and mitigate this bia...

Do you see your emotions as something that get in the way? What if you had no emotions or ignored you emotions, do you think that you would make better choices? In this weeks episode I want to discuss how emotions are guides rather than enemies, and how emotions are the key to help us make better decisions.  “Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.”  — Rumi Send us Fan Mail The Build an U...

Have you ever wanted to think like Socrates? Well you're in luck! This week's episode is an interview with Donald J. Robertson and we're talking about his new book, How to Think Like Socrates. We talk about the way that Socrates uses questions and critical thinking to overcome our own biases and logical fallacies, and how you can apply those to your life.  Donald is a licensed Cognitive Behavioral...

Do you struggle in getting started with achieving your goals? Do you get overwhelmed and quit before you even start? In this week’s episode I want to talk about how you can change your mindset to help you work through the blocks that are keeping you from living the kind of life you want. “The important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding the solution.”  —...

This weeks episode is another Q & A episode. I answer a few questions from listener about self gaslighting, romantic relationships, communicating with others, and applying amor fati in my own life. If you have any questions you'd like me to answer in future episodes drop me a note or a comment on social media and maybe I'll feature it in an upcoming episode. Thanks! "If we try to adapt our mind to...