I can find great inspiration when reading quotes that hit me as true wisdom. A quote can have a much broader meaning than what we first think, and be applied to your personal situation.
This is why I will list and talk about my five favorite stoic quotes on self-improvement.
“Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” -Epictetus
We are easily obsessed with wanting to progress. Even spending hours watching videos and reading about how to become a better version of yourself.
The most important takeaway from this quote, is that progress is made by action.
Spending time consuming self-improvement knowledge will do nothing for you, unless you put it into action. Reading about how to get rich will not make you a single dollar. But if you take little steps every day, putting that knowledge into use, you will find progress.
"It does not matter what you bear, but how you bear it."
-Seneca
We all have hardships, challenges and struggles. Some more than others.
Some of the worlds most successful people, came from nothing and worked through greater struggles than you and I will ever encounter.
The takeaway and application of Seneca's great quote is to look at your current situation and its challenges. Take responsibility for your challenges and decide to do the best you can with them.
It is an active choice to take responsibility over your hardships, instead of acting as a victim. But taking full responsibility of how you bear this, will leave you in control of the outcome.
You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. -Marcus Aurelius
This quote greatly captures the philosophy of Stoicism, written down by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
It embodies the stoic principle letting go of what is not in your control. Through life we will all encounter things that affect us, but might not have been in our control.
Being able to understand this fully, and differentiate it with what you can control, will save you from a lot of pain and resentment.
Take responsibility of what is in your control, and let go of the rest, and you will have strength and energy that would otherwise be lost.
The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.
-Seneca
We all have limited time. The moment we are born, we are also doomed to die.
This is a curse and a blessing at the same time, for without death there would be no value in life.
This is a quote to practice and live by for the rest of your life. Your dream of eventually starting that project, moving to a new city or being rich by retirement, they could all fall apart if you put your trust in the future.
We can not know what will happen in ten years, or tomorrow. All we have control over, is what we choose to do right now, in the present. Your life may unexpectedly change at anytime ahead of this current moment.
So take this moment into your own hands, and treat it as your most precious gift.
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. -Epictetus
What we want and desire is a key factor in our happiness and satisfaction with life. When you want great amounts of money, or expensive items, you will always feel poor and dissatisfied when you don't have it.
Wealth, and its meaning can only be defined by you. You might see true wealth as youth and great health, as a loving family, or in the form of money.
But wealth does not mean to have possesions or money of any kind, unless you define it as such. So when you are mindful of what you really want, you can start living in wealth.
Conclusion - 5 stoic quotes on self-improvement
These were my top 5 stoic quotes on self-improvement, and they have the power of changing your life if you reflect and apply them to your personal situation.
Within them are reminders and answers to many of your own questions.
The quote “Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” is my reminder to take action. Not just spend time absorbing knowledge.
It tells me that I should make a plan for this blog, what to write about this week, then take action. This is the recipe for progress. If you felt a special bond to one of these quotes, and got an idea of how you will apply it to your life, write it in the comments below and let us have a discussion!
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