Stoic Coffee Break

What's the Worst that Could Happen? | 380 05.06.2026 10min

“What’s the worst that could happen?” We’ve all heard this before. Usually it’s tongue in cheek just before something really bad does happen. But counterintuitively, it’s actually one of the most powerful questions that we can ask ourselves when we’re stuck in anxiety. So let’s talk about how imagining the worst can you you be your best. “The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable.” — Seneca

Why Searching for Meaning Is Keeping You Stuck | 379 28.05.2026 10min

Do you live a meaningful life? Not "are you successful" or "are you productive" or "are you optimizing your mornings”, but does your life actually feel like it means something? Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man on Earth. He had every external condition for a meaningful life — wealth, status, purpose handed to him by birth. And yet, his private journals are full of reminders he had to write to himself just to keep going. Which tells you something important: meaning isn't a thing you find. It's a thing you build.

Collaborating with Reality: The Stoic Art of Being Present | 378 19.05.2026 16min

Far too often we’re never really in the moment. Maybe we’re stuck ruminating in the past over what we wished would have happened, or projecting out into the future our hope of what will happen. Maybe we distract ourselves with our phones, with entertainment, or alcohol or drugs. Anything that can relieve boredom or the discomfort of our present reality. But what if you leaned into that boredom? What if embracing discomfort is the key to really experiencing your life? In this episode I want to about the importance of being present in your own life by working with reality, rather than against it. “Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars. Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed. Quit evasions. Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation you happen to be in now.” — Epictetus

The Power of Paradox: The Stoic Art of Holding Two Truths at Once | 377 06.05.2026 19min

Can two things be true at the same time? Can you hold two opposing ideas at the same time? Today I want to talk about how learning be be comfortable with opposites can widen your thinking and help you see reality a little more clearly. "The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth." — Niels Bohr

How Fear Creates the Failure It Fears | 376 28.04.2026 21min

Are you motivated by fear? What if that fear is actually at the root of why you’re not getting the results you’re going after? In this week’s episode I want to talk about how to stop fear from sabotaging your best work. “What I advise you to do is, not to be unhappy before the crisis comes; since it may be that the dangers before which you paled as if they were threatening you, will never come upon you; they certainly have not yet come."

Before You Book the Therapist, Build the Foundations | 375 21.04.2026 21min

Do you need therapy in order to have a good life? What is the difference between therapy and philosophy? Today I want to discuss the differences and how you need to right tools to build a good life. “We should not use philosophy like a herbal remedy, to be discarded when we're through. Rather, we must allow philosophy to remain with us, continually guarding our judgements throughout life, forming part of our daily regimen, like eating a nutritious diet or taking physical exercise.” ― Musonius Rufus

Why You'll Never Reach Your Ideal Self (And Why That's the Point) | 374 15.04.2026 10min

Do you have a clear picture of the person you want to become? And what happens when you fall short of that person — not once, but again and again? Today I want to talk about what you should do when you fall short of reaching your ideal self. “Give yourself fully to your endeavors. Decide to construct your character through excellent actions and determine to pay the price of a worthy goal. The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths.” — Epictetus

The Busy Trap: Seneca on Why You're Optimizing the Wrong Thing | 373 07.04.2026 13min

Are you too busy? Are you working too hard to be productive with every minute of your time? In today’s episode I want to talk about the perils of over-optimizing your life, and what the Stoics had to say about managing your time. “So, concerning the things we pursue, and for which we vigorously exert ourselves, we owe this consideration – either there is nothing useful in them, or most aren't useful. Some of them are superfluous, while others aren't worth that much. But we don't discern this and see them as free, when they cost us dearly.” — Seneca

Skeptical, not Cynical: How to Think in an Age of Misinformation | 372 30.03.2026 15min

In today’s media environment do you know how to think well? How do you know who to trust? Today we’re going to talk about how Stoicism can help you to think critically about what you consume, and how be skeptical without being cynical. “You become what you give your attention to…If you yourself don't choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will.” — Epictetus

Akrasia: The Challenge of Knowing vs. Doing | 371 23.03.2026 16min

How often do you put things off? Why do you put things off that you know you should do? Maybe waiting for circumstances to be just right before you make a change? In this week’s episode we’re going to dive a deeper into why put things off, and what you can do to build momentum, and move forward. “It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested.” ― Seneca

370 - Q & A: Opinions, Anxiety, Ambition, & Knowing vs. Doing 15.03.2026 15min

How do you stop worrying about what others think of you? Is worrying ever useful? Can Stoics be ambitious? How can I actually do what I know I should? In this week's episode I answer some of your questions through the lens of Stoicism. "It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own." — Marcus Aurelius Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! M...

369 - Spend It Like a Millionaire: Why Holding Back Isn't Humility 09.03.2026 15min

What if the thing you've been quietly doing your whole life — the thing that feels almost too easy to count — is actually your greatest gift to the world? And what is it costing you to keep holding it back? "If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke." — Brendan Francis Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for...

368 - Finding Your Pace: Stoic Advice for Dealing with Burnout 28.02.2026 14min

How do you get back up when too many things in life hit you all at once? How do you get your momentum back when it feels like every step is like wading through molasses? Today I want to talk about how Stoicism and friendship can find your balance and get moving again when life knocks you off your feet. When you have been compelled by circumstances to be disturbed in a manner, quickly return to yourself and do not continue out of tune longer than the compulsion lasts. — Marcus Aurelius, Medit...

367 - Choosing From the Wreckage: The Stoic Guide to Impossible Decisions 21.02.2026 12min

How do you make a decision when all the choices in front of you feel like bad ones? Today I want talk about how Stoicism can help us take action when faced with impossible choices. “What should we have ready at hand in a situation like this? The knowledge of what is mine and what is not mine, what I can and cannot do.” — Epictetus, Discourses I, 1.21 Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! My book Stoicism 101 is ...

366 - Your Beautiful Life: The Path of Stoic Joy 13.02.2026 14min

Is Stoicism all about being strong and serious? Is it too pessimistic and always looking for where things can go wrong, where the next challenge or struggle is? Today I want to talk about the softer side of Stoicism, and how many of the tools the Stoics teach us can actually lead us to joy. “To live happily is an inward power of the soul.” — Marcus Aurelius Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! My book Stoicism ...

365 - The Test of Power: Why Stoic Virtue Matters in Leadership 07.02.2026 25min

Why does virtue matter in leadership? What happens to a community, a city, a country when there is lack of virtue in leadership? In this episode we’re going to discuss power, leadership, and why virtue matters. "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." — Abraham Lincoln Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! My book Stoicism 101 is available! Order here! Fin...

364 - Moral Courage: Standing up to Injustice 02.02.2026 18min

Why is it important to resist and stand up against injustice? What happens when we don’t stand up to injustice? Today we'll explore why virtue is necessary, what the Stoics taught about resistance, and how to actually practice moral courage in your daily life. "The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.6 Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental ...

363 - Step Into Greatness: How to Be Your Own Hero 23.01.2026 16min

Are you living the life you want? Are you waiting for something to happen to push you into becoming the hero of your own story? In this episode I want to talk about why we fear stepping into greatness, and how you can be your own hero. “Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths...Dig deeply. You possess strengths you might not realize you have. Find ...

362 - Multi-Perspective Thinking: How to Make Better Decisions in 4 Steps 17.01.2026 12min

Do you approach a problem from only one perspective? Are there ways that you could expand your understanding and incorporate different perspectives? Today I want to talk about the power of multi-perspective thinking and how it can help you dig deeper into challenges in your life. “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” —Marcus Aurelius Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open fo...

361 - Ataraxia: The Stoic Skill of Staying Level 08.01.2026 11min

Can you stay calm in the storm? Or do you let your emotions cloud your judgment, leading to poor decisions? Today I want to talk about the Stoic concept of ataraxia and how it can help you be more mentally tough. “Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.” — Epictetus, Enchiridion 8 Send us Fan Mail The Build an Unbreakable Mind program for building mental discipline is now open for enrollment! My book Stoici...