Key to Your Happiness: Stoicism

Unintended consequences

Too true that modern amenities of technology and comfort oft lead to a more heightened level of distress and stress when we are removed from them. Very good to condition oneself to their absence from time to time...

Stoicism

Every now and then it’s god to deprive yourself from luxuries/happiness in order to appreciate the luxuries/happiness when you have it... it’s not about being emotionless, it’s about refraining yourself from feeling sorrow

STOICISM

I appreciated the practice on how you can appreciate everything we have in life by remembering to go without life’s simple luxuries or all the things we take for granted. I need to make this a daily part of life... 🙏🏼

Stoic

I learned what stoicism is and the idea of being happy in the absence of sorrow. I like the idea of just being happy with what you have and taking steps to appreciate what you have more. That is more beneficial than shiny new things.

Interesting and fitting

There are Many ways all around me to help me learn to have more gratitude.

Stoicism

This is an interesting thought on happiness. It’s true that when you get something new, you adapt to it and it isn’t as special anymore. It’s a very different way to look at life.

Today

I learned I have a lot to learn about myself inside and out

Guess I’m A Stoic

I never realized there was a name and philosophy for what I already practice in my life. Denying myself latest / greatest/ expensive things helps me feel grateful for what I do have, helps me live a simpler thriftier life, and forces me to evaluate how badly I really want or need what I do spend on.

I just now realized how Stoic I have been...

I just now realized how Stoic I have been all this time in my life I have never realized that’s what keeps me so incredibly and genuinely thankful and grateful!!

Giving Up What We Take For Granted

We have so many comforts in life that at times even the simplest ones we take for granted after awhile. It talks about giving up something that brings us comfort or short term joy for a time and then reintroduce it to be able to appreciate it again.

Do it

I don’t start because i think of how enormous the task at hand is. Soooo - Start by saying- Do it for 20m. Just 20m of it! Start small. Its all about starting

I loved this lesson, very grounding.

Luxuries soon become necessaries if you let yourself fall into believing you can’t be without them.... you can and you should every now and then.

Stoicism and Luxuries

This was a really intriguing meditation that introduced me to the idea of stoicism, philosophised initially by the early Greeks. I must look into this philosophy at a greater depth in the future. The main concept I gathered from this reflection is to occasionally deprive yourself of luxuries, so that when you do have the luxury of that experience, you feel an even deeper, more meaningful sense of appreciation and a greater sense of joy. I am interested in trying out this idea in small ways.

Contentment

Happiness maybe one notion that truly possesses infinite interpretations, but merely in life we solely have the present moment. Live it

Happiness comes from within

Do not seek it without. I learned that gratitude is a force to live by. Stoicism is a daily practice of gratitude by choosing to opt out of life’s luxuries to better appreciate them when we do. Happiness is void of sorrow and if you choose to let go of a luxury occasionally, you will not suffer because of the understanding of what it is to be without.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Now I understand this adage. And, I am growing into this understanding in my own life.

Instinctually I have started this already

I am blessed and appreciative that I have already instinctually been applying this to my life.... I do not fiend for luxury and I do not think of loss.... I literally don’t carry an umbrella cause A. I love rain/ B. I’m preparing myself for the times I won’t have one( haha!) just to give one small example... I look forward to seeing what other aspects of my life .... I can apply more Stoicism....

day 2

i felt scared and alone but with the help of the Aura app i was able to find my quiet place and finally feel safe and at peace again.

Sooo right.

Adaptation is a wonderful human skill. Except it keeps us on the circle like hamsters of continually running after the next greatest thing. Getting off that wheel periodically makes me appreciate what I do have. We lived for 20 years near the ocean and I would take almost daily walks which became almost routine. We now live further away and when I revisit my old neighborhood it’s a sparkling wonderful joy to take that walk again

Focusing on Being Stoic

I realized that there are so many things in my life that I’ve adapted to. I need to focus on stoicism to appreciate all the blessings I do have in my life.

Purposeful deprivation

I’m going to try this. Sounds like it might be interesting 🙏🏻

Purposeful deprivation

I’m going to try this. Sounds like it might be interesting 🙏🏻

Purposeful deprivation

I’m going to try this. Sounds like it might be interesting 🙏🏻

Stoicism

Happiness is relative, so we can create an approach to life that exploits this by creating benchmarks of simple living to make us appreciate the luxuries of life.

Stoicism

Deprive your self once in awhile of your luxuries to appreciate them continually. This will being you happiness

This is me

Having been deprived of things on/off my whole life has made me live like this without even realising that I’m doing it 😊

Stoizismus

Stoisch bzw konstanz ein Ziel verfolgen könnte mir gut tun. Nicht so viel schwanken und überdenken. Einfach machen und dich nicht vom Weg abbringen lassen.

You only appreciate something once it’s

I learned that we all adapt to what we have. We adapt to the things that are troubling us, but we also get used to good things and take them for granted. In order to avoid taking things for granted, it’s important to deprive yourself of certain things every once in a while. That sounds extreme, but it can be as simple as going without air conditioning for a few days, so when you get it back, something as trivial as AC can make you feel happy

Stoicism

Learned that I have to sometimes experience the milder forms of pleasure to fully experience my usual comforts and luxuries. I know I have to appreciate my daily blessings instead of seeking more and end up suffering for it. Suffering is only in the mind. If I choose to see it as a way to further my appreciation for the good, it now seems like a good thing.

Stoicism defined

I learned something new about stoicism. In fact I love this lesson more than anything I’ve heard recently. I need to deprive myself of certain things often enough that I appreciate those things always. If you don’t deprive yourself of things you take them for granted like AC in a car. Maybe not the best example since I’ve been driving around in the car that needs an AC job for damn near 10 years now ha ha ha ha. But it’s a great example for other people who may drive around in cars are living houses with AC. I just got a new hand me down high velocity fan that really helps me cool down my non-AC house in the evening when it cools down. I live in Oregon so I am a wimp about high temperature but that’s another story!!

Stoicism

I learned that sometimes it is good to deprive yourself of something so that you can really appreciate it when you do have it.

Stoicism

I earned that you don’t need riches to be happy. The key to happiness is within yourself.

Stoicism

Don’t take advantage of the blessings in your life, rather appreciate them every single day and every time you experience them.

Day 2

I learned that adaptation can’t always be good because you lose appreciation. I learned to not be to comfortable with the things you are given because if they are taken away we lose sight of true appreciation.

Stoicism

I loved this short session. It really spoke to me. To purposely deprive yourself to really appreciate what you have. As simple as camping in the wilderness, with all its elements, and returning home to your comfy bed... thank you for this reminder.

Interesting idea—occasional denial

I like the idea of choosing to go without something occasionally so I appreciate it more. Wish I’d jotted down the name of the book recommendation named at the start of the session. Would like to know more. Will try to listen again to catch it. Be ready with a pen & paper or electronic way to jot it down if interested in this!

My emotion

I need to walk away from situations that are purely emotional. Sometimes my silence is better at conveying the message that i want to be heard.

how to find happiness

I learned that even if I cannot feel full happiness I can try to purchase little sorts of happiness and that may be a begging

deprivation

almost sounds like a bad word in our culture! definitely something to try.

Love

I learnt that love is being authentic and honest with yourself. You should always be honest to yourself and not choose something just to fit in

I needed this! 💖

for the past few months my life has been pertaining to all of the luxuries in my life, I have over abused them and become completely numb to them. this has caused a lot of unhappiness within me, i believe I can have enough self control to become a stoic! ✨

Happiness

I learned that happiness lies within you, not in what you purchase because you will eventually adapt to it. Learn to get out of your comfort zone to really appreciate what you once were comfortable with. Choose to be happy. If you aren’t happy, then the things around you won’t mean a thing. Change your mind, and appreciate what you have and you will be happy. Thank you❤️

Stoicusm

Always appreciate the things that we take for granted. If you forget, take a step back and remember where you come from.

Stoicism

Do not let sorrow and suffering steal your happiness. Also comforts can lead to unhappiness because we become accustomed to them

I felt that

People's words play an important role in each life. Think before you speak. Not only to other but to you too.

Self deprivation

I can create happiness by not indulging in certain luxuries. Consequently, I will greatly appreciate the luxuries much more after I return to enjoying them because their absence caused me to take a new perspective. I will not take things or people for granted. I can practice self deprivation and self control to discipline myself and improve my well-being.

Stoicism

I should expect more from myself. I should hold myself to the same, or higher, standards.

Illness as teacher

Lots here. Deprive yourself once in awhile. For the past few years I have had to eat a very bland, limited diet due to illness. I’ve had to eliminate most foods. I can’t cook for myself except to bake a potato and boil an egg. Can’t eat dairy, sugar, wheat, coffee, chocolate etc. no spices or flavorings other than salt, most foods cold. Can’t eat most veggies, fruits, much fiber and only a little fat, refined foods or any meal that has more than three ingredients. This has left me eating canned tuna and chicken, gluten free bread and one brand of vegan protein drink. At first I really felt sorry for myself and I still gaze longingly at baked goods I see online or recipes I would like to fix. Dream of fresh veggies. But the improvement in my health has made a difference and I’m realizing I don’t need all those little treats I used to use to indulge myself. Maybe this is the concept behind Lent. A little sacrifice now and then can pay big dividends. Lately I have been able to drink a few sips of coffee. I’ve learned I don’t need a sixteen ounce cup with cream to satisfy me and plain potatoes without butter taste good and are satisfying. ☕️

Stoicism

The theory goes that depriving yourself of something you normally enjoy-their example was air conditioning-could bring renewed joy in that same thing. My sister, who like me, enjoys hanging out at home, says that sometimes you go out and do things you may not normally enjoy, because you may find something new you do enjoy, or it usually makes staying home much more enjoyable.

Stoicism

I studied stoicism heavily last year and this is a nice reminder that it could act as a key for my stress right now.

Deprivation leads to appreciation

Deprivation can lead to greater appreciation and in turn , happiness. I’m finding momentary joy in shopping, only to feel greater sadness when it is the new normal.

Philosophy of Stoicism

The philosophy behind stoicism is all about our mindset. We all adapt to new things in our lives. For example, as Shelley gives in this life coaching session, we get a new car with air conditioning. We are excited at first, but after a couple weeks, the ‘newness’ wears off and we adapt to this luxury as if we always had air conditioning in our car. Ultimately, by adapting, we can suffer. For instance, the air conditioning breaks down in the middle of summer. I think majority of us would say we’d be miserable. A way to counteract adapting is through a concept called purposeful deprivation. The thought behind this concept is that we go without something for a little while. So, as in the example with air conditioning, perhaps we don’t use air conditioning one day a week so that we appreciate the coolness that air conditioning gives us. By appreciating what we have, we can and will increase our happiness and lessen our suffering. I found this life coaching session very valuable. By all of us learning to live behind the philosophy of stoicism, we can all increase our happiness. What is one thing that you will purposefully deprive yourself of? Namaste 🙏🏻❤️☮️

Happiness

Instead of indulging in something to feel happy, we need to deprive ourselves to bring true happiness and appreciation.

Stoic

Shelly, great! A stoic reminder! Deprive and thrive! Always welcome ancient wisdom! Thanks.

Absence

This description of stoic philosophy made me think of the saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’- which I have found to be quite true. I’ve mostly applied that thought to relationships but when thinking of within with general stoic guidelines, it applies to all aspects of life.

New Joy

By depriving ourselves of luxuries, we can avoid adapting to them and can find new joy in them. Purposeful depreciation. Happiness is the absence of sorrow. Happiness lies within ourself. A guide to the good life by William Irvin was recommended.

I liked the idea of deprivation to experience happiness. The concept seems wise and I feel like I could benefit from practices like this.

Same as above I liked the idea of deprivation to experience happiness. The concept seems wise and I feel like I could benefit from practices like this

Stoicism

What am interesting topic. I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to hearing more