Even though you might not have heard of Stoicism before, you are probably quite familiar with it already.

Have you read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? What about The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F@ck? The Serenity Prayer? Read Girl, Wash Your Face?  Obstacle is the Way? If you have read these, you are familiar with Stoicism, though it isn’t specified in any of these readings. 

This ancient Greek philosophy underlies the messages in each of these writings. There are myriad of books and websites devoted to understanding Stoicism (I highly recommend DailyStoic.com as an solid introduction), so I will point generally to the central tenets of stoicism that inform Stoic Solutions Coaching.

1. Act only on what is in your control: Differentiate between what we can and cannot change.     

2. Right here. Right now: Everyday is a new day. Mistakes in the past do not dictate the future. Now is what matters. The past is gone – nothing can change it. The future has not happened – no one knows it. So, now, in the present is what we can change

3. Train perception to avoid good and bad: “It is what it is.” There is no inherently good or bad in nature – there are only our perceptions. We can choose to perceive an insult to be true or false, and base our reactions on the choice. By removing judgement as a first response, we can see everything as an opportunity. 

4. Love your fate: “What stands in the way, becomes the way.” Treat everything that happens as something to be embraced, not avoided. Adversity can become the fuel for your potential.

5. Practice asking yourself “What is the worst thing that can happen?” Imagine it has happened. Rehearse the setbacks. Prepare for the obstacle. This builds resilience in the event that the worst does happen. And it turns out that this is how effective risk management happens.