This Has Been Passed Down To Us

0:00I'm recording this on a Monday, and Monday is our grocery store day in our family. I usually pick my kids up from school and we go over to Whole Foods, get all our groceries for the week. Although here very shortly, we're going to go over there to get our Thanksgiving turkey because they've got a bunch of great options. Turkeys start at$149 a pound if you have Prime with organic birds at$299 a pound. And they only carry no antibiotic ever turkeys that will bring quality to your table at a great price. Whole Foods has great everyday prices on all your Thanksgiving essentials, whether you celebrate with a massive family or just a few close friends.

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1:19Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, where each day we bring you a passage of ancient wisdom designed to help you find strength, insight, and wisdom in everyday life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2 ,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us, dailystoic.com.

1:46So why do they do it? Why do thousands of people all over the world sign up for the Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge? Maybe it seems crazy to you. Maybe it doesn't make any sense. It's like, oh, I could do without it. I could do it by myself. Well, I thought maybe I'd just let you hear it in their own words. Here are some folks that signed up for the Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge over the years. I'm really loving the challenge and everyone I'm talking to about it's really kind of enjoying hearing about it. So I just want to say thank you for everything. This was a really cool way to start the year.

2:17Thank you. About three years ago, I discovered you. So I've been through Ego is the Enemy fairly recently. And of course, this year's challenge, I've been doing the challenge for three years. I'm kind of a real life embodiment of some of the stuff my wife passed from cancer. But just learn that it's day by day process, kind of cliche. I've been reading the Stoics and participating in your challenges the past few years. And look, I'll give you one testimonial on top of that. It's worked really well for me. I get something out of making the challenge, but I also do it alongside all of you. It's one of my favorite things.

2:51It kicks off the year right for me. So if you want to kick the year off right with a challenge, well, join us in the Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge. You can sign up right now at dailystoic.com slash challenge. It's going to start on January 1st. Why don't you challenge yourself right now to stop procrastinating and do it, and I will see you in there. We just took our kids to an outdoor performance at The Nutcracker. They had a snow cone and then they went insane in the car ride home. And one of the things I try to remind myself when that's happening is that I don't control my kids' behavior, especially when they're too far gone like that.

3:27But I do control how I respond, right? That's stoicism, but it's also what Dr. Becky talks about. Dr. Becky is a clinical psychologist and a bestselling author, and she founded Good Inside, which is there to give parents practical, actionable tools for handling those everyday challenges with confidence. My wife introduced me to Dr. Becky's books. I love them. I've recommended them a million times. I've had her on the podcast. And as it happens, Dr. Becky is hosting two live Q &A events for good inside members. I am one of them. She signed me up for it about a year and a half ago. I've loved it ever since.

4:06On December 1st, you can join Dr. Becky for her How Not to Raise Assholes event, which is about avoiding entitlement and raising kind, Empathetic Kids. And on December 15th, she's hosting her How Not to Lose It over the holidays event, which I'm sure we could all use. As I said, I'm a big fan of Dr. Becky. She's been a great influence for me as a parent and just as a human being. And Daily Stoic listeners can join for 15 % off with code STOIC15. You just got to head over to goodinside.com to catch the events. Over 2 ,000 years ago, one of the world's greatest philosophers was born. He came of age under the Roman Empire and spread a message of kindness and mercy and doing one's duty.

4:53He taught millions how to live and how to die over the course of his life and his legacy, how to better themselves and treat their neighbors too. But eventually this wisdom grew controversial, a threat to the state, and his death came at the hands of the centurions they sent for him. And yet even during the very public agony and humiliation of his death, he asked his loved ones and followers to stay strong, to forgive the excesses of an emperor who did not know what he was doing. In those brave final moments, he immortalized himself forever. This is the story of Jesus, who people all over the world celebrate today on Christmas.

5:32But just as well, this is the story of Seneca. Remarkably, Seneca and Jesus lived nearly parallel lives. Not only that, but they were born, according to many sources, in the same year. No one can confirm for certain the exact birth date for either, but it is indisputable that two of history's greatest philosophers walked the earth at the same time. More incredible is just how much their teachings overlap, and it's worth taking some time on this Christmas morning to consider those similarities. Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. That's Jesus. Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.

6:08That's Seneca. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, then turn to him the other also. That's Jesus. It is a petty and sorry person who will bite back when he is bitten. That's Seneca. We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance, and endurance develops strength of character. That's Jesus. Constant misfortune brings this one blessing to whom it always assails and eventually fortifies. That's Seneca. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? That's Jesus. You look at the pimples of others when you yourself are covered with a mass of sores.

6:49That's Seneca. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That's Jesus. Two elements must therefore be rooted out once and for all, the fear of future suffering and the recollection of past suffering, since the latter no longer concerns me and the former concerns me not yet. That's Seneca. Ultimately, both these men lived on far beyond their deaths. According to scripture, Jesus, he would rise from the dead after three days. And Seneca, through his writings, feels as alive to us as he would have to many Romans.

7:27So on this Christmas day, we can simply marvel at this near miracle that two wise men were alive at the same time and through their sufferings and teachings, a great legacy has been passed down to us. Which one of them we choose to rely on most heavily is an individual decision, but that we should do something with their teachings. That's a gift we would all be wise to receive this Christmas. Anyways, Merry Christmas, everyone. I love putting this together, these Christmas messages every year. And it's been my privilege and honor to do this now every Christmas since 2016. Thank you for subscribing.

8:04Thank you for giving me the opportunity, giving me the platform, for making me better by allowing me to write this to you. I hope to see you all in the Daily Stoic New Year New Year Challenge, which is going to start in just a few days. You can join there at dailystoic.com challenge. challenge and now I'm going to go be with my family and I hope you do the same.

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