7 Ancient Philosophies That Make Modern Life Easier

What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you do, you create — Buddha

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Many people think stress is a modern problem.

But that is not true.

People thousands of years ago were stressed out, too. They just didn’t call it “executive dysfunction.” They probably just stared at the sky and muttered something poetic.

I studied 7 old ideas that have helped people for a long time.

What I learned can help you live better.

These are 7 powerful ideas that still work today, no matter what is happening in your life.

Most of Your Fears Are Just Thoughts

Ancient Stoics didn't label it as anxiety.
They simply told you you're catastrophizing.

They didn't have Xanax or breathing apps or Instagram reels with people whispering you're safe.
They had Epictetus say such things as:

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality."

And no offense to your worst case scenario in fiction, but he's correct.

“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” -Marcus Aurelius

According to research from National Science Foundation, we have up to 60,000 thoughts a day, and god knows how many of them are negative.

To calm your mind, you can do this:

• Is this thought really true?

• Do I have proof?

• What would I say if my friend thought this?

Life Flows Like Water: Stop Trying to Swim Upstream

Taoism 101: Water doesn't grapple with a boulder. It just flows around it.
You, on the other hand, are over here trying to body slam life into submission.

• You want traffic to vanish, your boss to mind read, and your ex to send something sorry at 2:13 a.m.

• None of that's happening.

Water does not rush. It does not mind if you have a five-year plan in Notion.

It adjusts, reroutes, and adapts. No flailing. No drama.
It gets where it’s going without screaming into the void.

You ain't here to battle gravity. You're here to learn to flow.
Perhaps we can apply this to life as well. That’s what Bruce Lee once said, right? “Be Like The Water”.

Sounds nice, until you’re stuck behind someone going 12 mph in the fast lane, then it’s less Taoism and more rage induced enlightenment.

Do the Thing But Let Go of the Outcome

Hindu Karma: Arguably the most misunderstood concept in religious history.

It is not about someone stealing your parking space and then getting a flat tire.
That is merely wishful thinking. Karma is not cosmic payback. It's action, not outcome.

Here's how it works:

• You do the thing. Wholeheartedly. Perhaps with your whole heart.

• You release the grip on how it lands.

Because you can't tell other individuals what to do with what you provide them.

• Write the article. Publish it. (Rinse and Repeat)

• Don't stalk the statistics for six hours.

• Love someone. Mean it.

• Don't twist yourself because they are not clapping loudly enough.

Show up. Let go. Move on.

It's attachment to the outcome that just gets your head in a knot. Release it.

What You Praise, You Grow

There is something in Ubuntu (Southern African philosophy) which essentially states: We become ourselves through others.

What you strengthen in others and in yourself grows.

• Keep reminding your child that they're "the smart one," and they'll be too afraid to attempt anything they're terrible at.

• Keep praising effort over outcome, and they’re not afraid to fail.

• Tell yourself that you're always behind and you'll be behind. Because your brain takes notes.

The fancy term for this is “Neuroplasticity” (the brain’s ability to rewire itself based on repeated thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs). This becomes the foundation for what's known as the growth mindset

Bottom Line

• What you praise, you grow.

• What you repeat, you reinforce.

• What you pay attention to, in yourself and in others, becomes stronger. Because attention is fuel. Wherever it goes, energy flows.

You Don't Need An Opinion On Everything

Modern humans process five times as much information per day as we did in 1986.

We are overwhelmed with opinions.

Humans have opinions about relationships they are not in, about policies they never got to see, and the character of strangers based on a 12% context video clip.

Because the human brain is wired to complete incomplete stories.

Every time you give your opinion, it takes some of your energy, the energy you need to think clearly, stay calm, and take care of how you respond.

• It's okay that you don't care as much about every headline.

• It's okay to say "I don't know."

• It's also fine to just. not say anything. Revolutionary.

The Body Learns Quicker Than the Mind

You can read all the advice.
You can watch a thousand TikToks on how to "rewire your nervous system."

But change doesn't occur in your head. It happens in your daily activities. Because thinking about change is not the same as doing it.

• You're not going to be disciplined by purchasing a planner. You're going to be disciplined by doing the task when you don't want to.

• You're not another person because you wish. You're another person because you behave like them until it's second nature.

Your body is in charge. Your mind follows.

Repetition rewires faster than inspiration.

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