Within the context of your relationships and roles you'll have responsibilities. And when you agree to one (e.g. the role) you've agreed to the other (i.e. the responsibilities). Be aware what you're getting yourself into. Ultimately,

Achieving our goals takes effort. That effort is made easier when we've committed to staying the course regardless of the challenges we'll face. And there are always challenges. By imagining the possible challenges and obstacles beforehand we'll be...

Depending how you build your mental fortress (or sanctuary, refuge, gymnasium) you will more or less suffer abuse from the negative opinions of others. If you build it well it will be impregnable. But that will take dedicated practice and dedication.

The Stoic sage operates with excellence in every moment. We aren't sages. There are no sages. Though we won't operate with excellence in every moment we can operate with excellence in any moment! And that opportunity is available in every moment of ...

When we consider our own lives and the challenges we face we're so close, we're so involved, it makes it hard to see the obvious choices. But when we're presented with similar challenges in the lives of others it seems easier.

There's a price for everything. When we pay up front for what we want, through the discipline of our choices and effort, we become practiced and the price becomes easier to bear. When we choose to ignore the discipline and effort required we're choo...

"You help others the most by being a model of excellence worthy of emulation. A good end by unworthy means is never justified. Know your purpose and the means becomes self-evident. Then others learn just by seeing you in action." (excerpt)

We are likely to judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions. After all, we can't read minds. But by using the same criteria for ourselves we're going to be much more honest about how well we're living up to our own standards.

As we strive to make ourselves better human beings (working out, eating healthy, calling it an early night because we need to get up for a run in the morning) we'll undoubtedly be on the receiving end of some opinions that aren't helpful. Be prepared.

We expect to have time to get our tasks done, to achieve our goals, to make things better. But when we consider that future we're taking for granted that we'll be in it and that we'll have the resources we have now or even more.