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Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher that was born into slavery. After being banished from Rome, he moved to northwestern Greece, where he lived for the rest of his life. His life was about making progress instead of mastering perfection and, because of this, there are many great life lessons we can learn from him. These lessons provide us with a practical path to resilience, growth, fulfillment, and wisdom.
This week, I discuss some of the life lessons we can learn from the great minds of ancient philosophers, like Epictetus. I share how he learned by choosing how he responded to different situations, it gave him an inner sense of freedom despite his circumstances. I share how Epictetus teaches us to use adversity as a means to develop our sense of freedom and the importance of taking responsibility for our thoughts and beliefs. I discuss why he believed our actions speak louder than words, his thoughts on receiving criticism from others, and why he taught his students to cultivate good habits. I also discuss the value of being mindful of how we spend our time and making light of life’s challenges.
“Use adversity as an opportunity to develop your inner sense of freedom. The robber of your free will does not exist. Some things are in your control, others are not.” – Dr. Mark Rowe
This week on In the Doctor’s Chair:
- Choosing how we respond to different situations
- Epictetus’ manual for living
- What Epictetus believed about blaming others for your own bad circumstances
- Accurately identifying what’s within your control and what is not
- Using adversity as an opportunity to develop your sense of freedom
- How Epictetus describes suffering
- Taking responsibility for our thoughts and beliefs
- Making light of life’s challenges
- Why your actions speak louder than your words
- Epictetus’ views on receiving criticism from others
- Cultivating good habits
- Being mindful of how we spend our time
Resources Mentioned:
- Book: The Enchiridion by Epictetus
- Book: Discourses by Epictetus
In the Doctor’s Chair
Thanks for listening to In the Doctor’s Chair, the show where you’ll hear conversations that share life lessons, health habits, and leadership practices that focus on positive psychology, lifestyle medicine, and ways for you to live with more vitality.
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