"Stoicism is heavily influenced by the ideals of Christianity, " Surely this should be the other way round?

Did you know that Groundhog Day is a real thing? Yes, there really is an annual ceremony in Punxsutawney where they produce a groundhog called Phil. Did you also know that Groundhog Day is today, February 2nd? “OK”, I hear you protest, “But why celebrate Groundhog Day as a holiday…

Your Value System is the Key to True Invulnerability Stoicism is an excellent philosophy of life for all seasons, in my opinion. But Stoicism really comes into its own in times of crisis. …

Epictetus’s epiphany is invaluable at all times. I want to suggest it’s even more helpful in these challenging times. . The basic idea may be familiar. A friend ignores you when you pass them by in the street. Mary thinks “How rude!” and feels annoyed. Rose thinks “She must be…

Stoicism is much more just than a philosophy of times of adversity. But it sure is a good philosophy for a time of crisis. Earlier today I presented a g reat CBT technique, The Worry Tree. Now I want to share with you how Stoicism, the wise old grand-daddy of…

A few weeks ago I was invited to give a talk about CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to a group of doctors. A good opportunity to spread the word about therapy and how it can be beneficial, I thought — but at the same time quite a challenging. task The doctors…

Thanks to a fantastic group who helped yesterday’s Philosophical Life Coaching Session City Lit London yesterday be so special. Here are 4 key take-home messages. Clarify your values. This fun exercise only takes 2 minutes. Reflect on one of your best days. Then pick out 3 reasons why it was…

This article was written in June 2016 just after the UK voted to leave the EU and before Trump was elected President. Today, over 3 years later, the UK is actually leaving. I believe these Stoic strategies may still be relevant. Is your reaction to Britain’s decision to leave the…

Self Help Classics series, no 1 continued In an earlier post we looked at the background to the great philosopher Bertrand Russell’s self-help classic The Conquest of Happiness and outlined his tips for avoiding misery. Now we will find out how he thought we could actually conquer happiness, as promised by the title of his book. Bertrand…