My daughter has Stargardt’s Disease. Now there might be a chance that you are exactly like me and have no clue what the hell that could mean. Until she had been diagnosed with it, I had never even heard of it before. And it might make sense if you, like me, have not. It isContinueContinue reading “How to Handle Life’s Difficulties”
Author Archives: Sober Stoic
Why Stoicism for Recovery?
Welcome back everyone!!! It has been quite a bit of time since I wrote a blog for this site. In the two years since I had last written one, I have been spending my time writing two recovery and philosophy books (A Stoic Guidebook for Recovery which is now published and The Twelve Steps andContinueContinue reading “Why Stoicism for Recovery?”
It’s All About Character: The Path to Living a Good Life
The art of living is the main focus of stoicism as it tries to answer the ultimate question of how does someone try to live a good life? It is a question that everyone should try to answer but is crucial for us in recovery. Wrong living led us down our journey to addiction soContinueContinue reading “It’s All About Character: The Path to Living a Good Life”
Gratitude a Stoic Way
In recovery we are often times told to write gratitude lists to remind ourselves of what we are grateful for in life. The Stoics had their own way of building gratitude in a deeply and profound way through the use of an exercise known as negative visualization. In this article I will discuss what isContinueContinue reading “Gratitude a Stoic Way”
Cicero and The Serenity Prayer
Thousands of years before the Serenity Prayer was written, Stoics were already discussing the implications of it through all aspects of our lives and how to use it to regulate emotions. In this article I will discuss Cicero’s example of the archer and how it relates to the Serenity Prayer for any goal you haveContinueContinue reading “Cicero and The Serenity Prayer”
The Hedonic Treadmill…A Poison to Lasting Happiness and Recovery
Have you ever got something new or had an amazing change to your life and find that after time passes it may not make you as happy as it once did? Welcome to the Hedonic Treadmill. In this article learn about how this impacts the happiness you feel in life, can endanger your recovery andContinueContinue reading “The Hedonic Treadmill…A Poison to Lasting Happiness and Recovery”
The Higher Power and Stoics
The role of a higher power in our lives is one that many recovery programs discuss as an essential part of the 12 Step Process. Stoics also looked at the presence of a higher power around us within the philosophy. In this article I will discuss how stoicism can not only help you find yourContinueContinue reading “The Higher Power and Stoics”
The Blessing of the Bottom
In this article I will look at how Stoics could possibly view the bottoms that we hit when we are in our addiction as something that is a benefit to us rather than a curse. There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.William Shakespeare – Hamlet One thing that can beContinueContinue reading “The Blessing of the Bottom”
Serenity Prayer: Part Three
In the third and final part in this series looking at the Serenity Prayer, I will discuss the role of wisdom in stoicism and how it becomes the key to living out this prayer to the fullest and achieving serenity. I will conclude with discussing how the four virtues of stoicism can all be foundContinueContinue reading “Serenity Prayer: Part Three”
Serenity Prayer: Part Two
In this second part of three on a look at stoicism and the Serenity Prayer, I will now look what are the things that we can change as a follow up to the things we cannot change from the first part. Courage to Change the Things I Can In the first part, I discussed howContinueContinue reading “Serenity Prayer: Part Two”
Derek Castleman: The Sober Stoic 