The Gentle Rebel Podcast

The Gentle Rebel Podcast


Treat Yourself to an Inspiring Stoic Coffee Break With Erick Cloward

September 20, 2018

You better get yourself a cup of coffee before you listen to this week's podcast. Why? Because Erick Cloward from the Stoic Coffee Break Podcast is with me of course!

Erick's show has become a staple favourite in my podcast library after discovering it earlier this year. Its simplicity, practical nature, and Erick's velvety soothing tones put it high on my Stoic recommendations. Give it a listen if you want to learn how Stoicism can help you build a solid relationship with your life.

Stoicism is a practical philosophy. This comes through in spades on the Stoic Coffee Break. If you're fed up of abstract ideas and theories then give it a listen.

I learned a huge amount from my chat with Erick, and was so glad to be able to cover some interesting ground. Including:

How Stoicism Has Changed His Life
He shares the areas of life that have been most profoundly impacted by embracing Stoicism, including his issues with anger.

Why Recording a Daily Podcast Accelerated His Growth and Learning
He committed to a rather rigorous publishing schedule. But rather than being a burden (because he wasn't a slave to it), it became a great tool to help him learn and reflect deeply on Stoic ideas.

How He Comes Up With Fresh Ideas to Talk About in Each Episode
I was fascinated to know how he finds new things to talk about when producing such a high volume of episodes. Turns out it's not that difficult.

The Interaction Between Emotions and Stoicism
Erick talks about his relationship with anger over the years. This led us to an interesting discussion about certain misconceptions we have about stoicism being the suppression or denial of emotion. Turns out it's anything but.

The Habits and Rituals that Help Erick Sharpen His Saw Each Day
Erick shares some practical exercises and habits he employs in order to be proactively equipped to cope with life's unexpected and inevitable twists and turns.

The Dangers of Dogmatism
The internet has a fascinating ability to pull out our dogmatism. We talk about why certain threads online about being a 'good Stoic' can derail us from actually enjoying what makes Stoicism worth it, and concentrating instead on theorising...which is ironically the path to being a pretty lousy Stoic!

His Hopes for the Future of The Stoic Coffee Break
We finish by talking about what Erick is planning next for the podcast.

Go and check out the Stoic Coffee Break Podcast. Find it at Stoic.Coffee