The Stoic Magazine Library

Stoic quotes for every day of the month

The word “mindfulness” isn’t one often associated with Stoicism; Buddhism seems to take the stage in this regard. However, in practice, Stoics are incredibly mindful. I would go so far as to say that one cannot be a Stoic without practicing mindfulness. This article will explain what mindfulness is in Stoicism and give some practices that you can implement in your daily life.

It is up to me to make the most of my days. When anxiety, trivia, and reality TV shows threaten to make my mind full, I become mindful instead. Instead of rushing through things, I slow down. I go deep on one thing instead of scattering my attention across a dozen things.

You can be placid and calm, merely observing and reflecting back what you think the world wants to see in you. Or you can be vibrant and participatory, giving space for both yourself and others to flourish through your actions.

All that Stoicism teaches us about not being swept away by useless passions originates exactly here – with not being swept away by random thoughts.

We need not just to empty or free up our minds, but even more to fill them with philosophical principles. ...We need to be continually turning them over in our minds, so we really understand them when they’re needed.

This is an extract from Ron Pies’ new book “The Anatomy of Gratitude”. In this extract, Ron Pies summarizes the key principles of Stoicism from his perspective. (The extract is a slighly edited version of the original, with subheads added.)