Behind Marcus Aurelius, Seneca is the most recognized Stoic philosopher. And Letters From A Stoic is his most popular piece of writing. Letters From A Stoic contains over 100 letters from Seneca to his friend Lucilius, advising him on how to use the Stoic philosophy to live a better life.
Here are five of the most important, powerful lessons from Seneca’s Letters From A Stoic:
Be happy with what you have
“It is not the man that has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
Seneca
In this modern age, everybody is looking for more. It doesn’t matter how much somebody has, the answer is almost always more. But Seneca would say that the person who is always craving more is actually poor, no matter how much money or material items they have.
Instead of always searching for the next thing, take the time to appreciate what you have. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be ambitious and want to have nice things, but it is important to take the time and be happy with everything that you have in life right now.
Live now
“The fool, with all of his other faults, has this also, he is always getting ready to live.”
Seneca
There is not a single person in this world who isn’t guilty of postponing life. We all have decided to put off important tasks for the next day. But the only thing that is guaranteed in life is the moment that you are in right now. You have the opportunity to live right now, no matter what situation you are in. Seneca said that one of the fool’s greatest faults is that he is always getting ready to live instead of doing it. Today, make the choice to live now. Don’t think about the past or the future. Think about the moment that you have been given.
Don’t just learn — do
“Let there be a difference between yourself and your book. How long shall you be a learner?”
Seneca
The Stoics were avid learners. But they also wanted to make sure that they didn’t just learn. They wanted to make sure that what they learned, they also applied. “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it,” Epictetus said.
Learning is only the first step. If you take the time to learn, you are doing more than most people. But, only the best of the best are able to learn and then use it. What good is reading if you don’t take what you read and use it to improve your life? Next time you learn something, make an effort to actually apply it to your life.
Death is inevitable
“Death has its fixed rule — equitable and unavoidable.”
Seneca
In Letters From A Stoic, Seneca writes to Lucilius a lot about death. He believes that thinking about our own inevitable death makes us live with unmatched urgency. A lot of people believe that we should think about death as little as possible. But Stoicism is all about controlling our emotions. And thinking about death is something that tends to bring a lot of negative emotions. However, if we all change our perspective, contemplating our own mortality can actually be positive. If you know you are going to die someday, then you are more likely to be grateful for the time that you have been given.
Prepare for the worst
“We should therefore reflect upon all contingencies, and should fortify our minds aginst the evils which may possibly come.”
Seneca
Nobody ever hopes for something bad to happen. But life is very unpredictable and it has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it. The Stoics had an exercise called Premeditatio Malorum — the premeditation of evils. If you prepare for bad things to come, you will be ready to deal with them when they arrive on your doorstep. It is not about worrying so much that you give yourself anxiety, but making sure that you are prepared for everything that life throws at you. Be mentally prepared for people to be rude to you. Be mentally prepared to get stuck in traffic. Be mentally prepared for a family member to get sick. Take the necessary steps to make sure that you are ready for everything.
If you give yourself time to think about and prepare for these things before they happen, then they will be less likely to create chaos when they take place.