Stoic Coffee Break

Send us a Text Message.In this week episode I had an engaging and wide ranging conversation with J.R. Martinez. J.R. is a motivational speaker, actor, and entertainer. J.R is also an Iraqi war veteran, who suffered from injuries from a roadside bomb burning over 40% of his body with significant scarring on his face and head. The road to recovery was long and challenging, but J.R. took the lesson he learned and turned them to his advantage. He auditioned for and All My Children for a small role that later expanded into a 3 year stint. In 2011 he went on Dancing with the Stars and ended up winning the top trophy that year. He has spoken to audiences all over the world with his story of perseverance and how to turned challenges into strengths.Download Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you struggle with confirmation bias? Do you even know what confirmation bias is? In this episode I want to delve into the concept of confirmation bias and how what you already know and believe can influence you to make poor decisions.“The first rule is not to get fooled, and you are the easiest person to fool.”—Richard FeynmanDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you suffer from anxiety? Do you often feel overwhelmed by the complexity of life? In this episode I want to talk about anxiety and how Stoicism can help us understand and deal with it, helping us to live a more relaxed and enjoyable life. “Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions—not outside.” — Marcus AureliusDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.This week's episode is an interview with author and human behavior expert Dr. John Demartini. We had a fascinating conversation about metaphysics, panpsychism, embracing opposites and more. I hope you enjoy this conversation!Download Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.This week I have my friend Sam Bennett on my podcast. Sam is the author of several books on creativity and productivity, and has just released her third book The 15 Minute Method: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Getting It Done. We had a great conversation on how to get your ideas into action, facing imposter syndrome, and Sam's plan of world domination. You can find out more about same at therealsambennett.com. I hope you enjoy this fun and wide ranging conversation.Download Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.This weeks episode is a question and answer episode. I'm just getting over Covid, and as much as I'd like to have written another episode, I've been absolutely exhausted. So I gathered some questions from my listeners and did my best to answer them from a Stoic perspective. Please feel free to post any questions you might have to any of my social media accounts or in the comments section on youtube for this video. Download Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.This weeks episode is an interview with Stoic author and investor, Darius Foroux. His upcoming book, The Stoic Path to Wealth, is all about investing and using Stoic principles to develop a bulletproof mindset when investing. He gives practical and low stress ideas about what you can do to build wealth over the long term while managing anxiety about your money.Download Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you struggle with anger? Why do you think you get angry? What can you do to manage your anger better? ln this episode I talk about how Stoicism can help you to get a grip on your anger, and lead a more peaceful life.“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”—RumiDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Being a father is a challenge, but Stoicism is a remarkable framework that we can lean upon to face the obstacles of fatherhood, and raise good kids."Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."— Marcus AureliusDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.This week I sit down and answer listener questions. I talk about how to apply Stoicism on morning routines, what mantras I use in my life to help keep me in the right mindset, how to detach from abusive people, and advice for managing a quarter life crisis.Download Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you have close friends? Are you a good friend? In this episode I talk about the importance of friendship and how Stoicism can help you be a better friend."Associate with those who will make a better man of you. Welcome those whom you yourself can improve."—SenecaCheck out this great video of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman interviewing each other. It's fantastic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S99iQH2RvgDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? Do you often feel like you're just faking your way through life? Today I want to talk about how Stoicism can help you overcome imposter syndrome and live a more authentic life.“Failure to observe what is in the mind of another has seldom made a man unhappy; but those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy.”—Marcus AureliusDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you struggle because you can't handle when things don't go according to plan? Today I want to talk about how having a plan is important, but having an inner compass to guide you can help you be more adaptable, make decisions under uncertainty, and forge a path when things don't work out as planned.“What then can guide a man? One thing and only one, philosophy. But this consists in keeping the soul within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pains and pleasures, doing nothing without a purpose, nor yet falsely and with hypocrisy.”—Marcus AureliusDownload Agora: A Stoic Community here! Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Send us a Text Message.Do you ask questions? And what I mean by that is, do you go into conversation or arguments thinking you already know everything? Today I want to talk about the importance of staying curious and how to ask useful questions.“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.”—John Stuart MillVisit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

This week'e episode is a bit different. Usually I write up my episodes so I dig deep and give you something really helpful. This week, it's just me and the mic talking about how sometimes people act in ways that are frustrating. They lie, cheat, even steal from you. I talk about how I'm dealing with that in my life at the moment and how I'm using Stoicism to act with integrity, and not let someone else control how I behave, or how I feel. Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Does it often feel like leaders, both in our work places and in politics, seem to be lacking? Have you ever had the good fortune of working with a great leader? Today I want to talk about the leadership style of Marcus Aurelius, and what we can learn from one of the greatest and most principled leaders of all time."What we do now echoes in eternity."—Marcus AureliusVisit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Does the world seem more divided and angry? Does it feel like it's hard to trust others in our society? Today I want to talk about how the small things we do can have a bigger impact than you think."Kindness is mankind's greatest delight."— Marcus AureliusFind out more about the Tech Leadership Mastermind here! Download Agora: A Stoic Community here!Visit the Stoic Coffee Break website for more episodes, transcripts, and merch.Find out more about the Leadership Mastermind.Find me on linkedIn, instagram, twitter, or threads.Thanks again for listening!

Are you aware of how your perspective influences how you see reality? Today I want to talk about how the Stoics teach us that our perspective shapes our reality. “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. — Anias Nin

In this episode I sit down and talk with comedian and comedy writer Ori Halevy. Ori, originally from Israel, is prominent in the large English speaking comedy in Berlin. We had a fun conversation talking about philosophy, comedy, anxiety, and why you need to laugh at life. You can find him on instagram at https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew and https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlin A transcript of the audio will be posted on the podcast website at https://stoic.coffee/blog/292-interview-with-ori-halevy/

In this episode I sit down and talk with comedian and comedy writer Ori Halevy. Ori, originally from Israel, is prominent in the large English speaking comedy in Berlin. We had a fun conversation talking about philosophy, comedy, anxiety, and why you need to laugh at life. You can find him on instagram at https://instgram.com/orihalevy_bigoldjew and https://instagram.com/epicomedyberlinA transcript of the audio will be posted on the podcast website at https://stoic.coffee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you think that you have strengths and weaknesses? What if I told you that you don't? Today I want to talk about how strengths and weaknesses are all a matter of perspective and context. "Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections." —Harriet Braiker

Do you think that you have strengths and weaknesses? What if I told you that you don't? Today I want to talk about how strengths and weaknesses are all a matter of perspective and context."Strive for excellence, not perfection, because we often find excellence in our imperfections."—Harriet Braiker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you think that Stoics are too serious and all business? Do you think that if you adopt Stoic principles that you can't have fun? Today I want to talk about humor and some of the misconceptions of Stoicism. “It's better for us to laugh at life than to cry over it.” — Seneca

This week's episode is an interview with Mark Tuitert, an Olympic gold medalist speed skater and Stoic author. We sat down in his home outside of Amsterdam and had a wonderful conversation about discipline, handling stress, forgiving parents, and about his new book The Stoic Mindset. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed the conversation. You can find out more about Mark Tuitert at https://marktuitert.nl

“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.” — Marcus Aurelius Are you new to Stoicism and want to know where to get started in learning about it and how to apply it in your life? Then this episode is for you. One of the things that I appreciate about Stoicism is that it's very practical philosophy, and there are a lot of ideas and principles that have stood the test of time because they work in helping you live a good life. There are also misconceptions about what stoicism is and what it isn't so today I'm going to walk you through the basics of what stoicism is, and how you can start applying it in your life immediately.

This week's episode is an interview with Constantin Morin, from the Unleash Thyself podcast. Constantin and I had a great conversation a couple of weeks ago and he's just a really warm and very insightful guy and I really enjoyed the conversation with him. I really appreciate his insights into developing the type of person that you want to become and getting over those internal blocks that keep you from reaching your full potential. I hope you enjoy this wide ranging conversation.

"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time." — Samuel Johnson How often do you think about your death? Do you go through your life just ignoring it and thinking that it's always a long way off? Today I want to talk about why considering your death each day can make your life richer, fuller, and happier.

"Don't seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well." — Epictetus One of the key aspects of stoicism is to be content with what we have. So how does this balance with ambition? If you are content, does that mean that you shouldn't be striving to accomplish your goals? Today I want to talk about how stoicism can help you accomplish your goals while still finding contentment in your daily life.

This week's episode is going to be a little bit different. I've been traveling quite a bit. I am now in Amsterdam. And so I put a post out on social media a couple of weeks ago. I guess about a week or so ago, that I'm going to do a question and answer episode. This is the first time I've done this, but I thought it might be interesting to give it a go. I had some people on social media ask me some questions, I also asked some of my friends for their questions about Stoicism and just kind of about life and philosophy in general, and we'll see how this goes.

This weeks episode is an interview with Gavan Wilhite. Gavan has been an entrepreneur for over a decade and has had a few successes and a few misses. His most successful exit was when his company AltSpaceVR was purchased by Microsoft. We discuss how to use stoicism in entrepreneurship and person life to manage emotions, take risks and follow your personal principles. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed making it. You can find more information on Gavan at https://wilhite.io

"Everything is in a state of flux, and nothing remains the same. So be prepared for change, and embrace it as a natural part of life." — Marcus Aurelius Far too often we're focused on the things that change in this world and in our lives. But what are the things that don't change? Today I want to talk about things we can build on that can help us through the ever flowing tide of changes that happen in our lives.

“If you are tired, rest. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign that you have been working hard and need to recharge.” — Epictetus What do you think of when you hear the term “self-care”? Do you think of indulgences like triple chocolate ice cream or a bottle of wine? When you think of self-discipline, do you think of depriving yourself of the things you enjoy? Today I want dig a little deeper and think about what self-care really means and why it's important for us to take time out and pay some attention to ourselves.

Ryan Bush is the author of Designing the Mind and Become Who You Are. We sat down and had an interesting conversation about a understanding self esteem and the positive case for depression.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Can you hold beliefs that are not true, but are useful? know that I talk a lot on here about trying to get as close to the truth as possible. But are there times when it is useful to believe something even if you're not sure of it yourself?

“It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Noel Coward 27B8A8 Do you lie? Do you believe that everyone lies? Why are some lies acceptable? Why should we allow people to lie without repercussions? Today I want to talk about the different kinds of lies and deceptions, and what we can do to be a bit more honest, and a little more aware when others are trying to deceive us.

“Life is a storm that will test you unceasingly. Don't wait for calm waters that may not arrive. Derive purpose from resilience. Learn to sail the raging sea. — @TheStoicEmperor (twitter) Do you fear the unexpected? Do you stress out when life throws you a curveball? Today I want to talk about how to handle, appreciate, and even look forward to the unexpected events that life brings your way.

"Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is 'timing' - it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way." — Fulton J. Sheen Are you a patient person? Do you pay attention in your life or are you just rushing through your day? Today I want to talk about how patience is one of the most important attributes you need to live a full life, and reach your goals.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." — Franklin D. Roosevelt Do you live in fear? Are there things in your life that you are afraid to try? Today I want to talk about why courage is the foundational virtue of stoicism, and how to develop a courageous mind.

This weeks episode is a reposting of an episode from Jew-ish. I was interviewed for the show by the host Hannah Gaber about what it's like growing up in guess culture and comparing that to her experience of growing up in an ask culture. Hannah is fun and smart and we had a great conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

"We must not let the impressions carry us away so that we are not in control of ourselves, but we must receive them in such a way as to be in control of ourselves." — Epictetus Do you know that some problems are simple, while others are complicated, complex, or chaotic? Do you know the difference between them? Today I want to talk about how understanding the different types problems can help you face up to your challenges more effectively.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” — Marcus Aurelius Do your opinions get in your way? Do your strong opinions cause issues in your relationships? What would happen if you weren't so attached to your opinions? Today I want to talk about why we should be willing to let go of attachments to our opinions and how doing so can help you live a happier life.

Do struggle with loneliness? Have the last few years of lockdowns and isolation been hard on you? Today I want to talk about loneliness, why it's something that shouldn't be ignored, and why it's important for us to reach out and connect to others. “We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.” —Seneca

Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? When other people disappoint you do you cut them some slack? Today I want to talk about why it's important to give people some grace, and how it can make you happier with yourself. “Everywhere, at each moment, you have the option: to accept this event with humility; to treat this person as they should be treated; to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in.” —Marcus Aurelius

Are you stuck in life? Do you feel like you can't break out of the rut you're in? Today I want to talk about why we get stuck and offer some ideas of how to get unstuck. “What upsets people is not things themselves, but their judgements about these things.” — Epictetus

What do you think the purpose of life is? Do you ever wonder why we're here? Today I want to talk about some ideas of what we're supposed to do with the one life that we have. “Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual." — Arthur Koestler

Are you a victim? Do you put yourself in the role of a victim rather than owning up to and taking responsibility for yourself? Today I want to talk about why we fall into the role of victim and how we can step up and be responsible for ourselves. “An ignorant person is inclined to blame others for his own misfortune. To blame oneself is proof of progress. But the wise man never has to blame another or himself.” — Epictetus

Do you think that life should be all pleasure and no pain? This week I want to talk about the balance between pain and pleasure and why if you want more pleasure, you may have to add more pain to your life. “If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.” —Epictetus

Why do you set goals? Why is it important for you to accomplish those goals? Today I want to talk about why we should try to accomplish goals, even we never achieve them. “Show me someone for whom success is less important than the manner in which it is achieved.” — Epictetus

Are you always looking for the lazy solution? Do you try to find “one and done” solutions to the problems in your life? Today I want to talk about how most progress is not just about knowing what to do, but about doing it consistently. “How do you move forward? One step at a time. How do you lose weight? One kilo at a time. How do you write a book? One page at a time. How do you build a relationship? One day at a time. In a world obsessed with speed, never forget things of real worth and value take time.” — Thibaut

“It is not so much what happens to you as how you think about what happens.” ― Epictetus Do you think of yourself as a “self”? What if we had no part of us that was an enduring self? How would that change how you acted in the world? Today I want to talk about the idea of how we would view the world different if there was no self.

Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want. — Naval Ravikant Do you struggle with getting the things that you want in you life? Are you unhappy because you are unable to achieve the success you want in life? Today I want to talk about an idea call the Inverse Law of Desire, and how it may be keeping you from accomplishing your goals in life.