It's a Classical Life

As we are fast approaching Christmas and all that holiday encompasses in our modern times, I thought it would be nice to remind ourselves of something important. I chose this particular quote, because try as we might, we may get caught up in the glitz and glamour of present giving and feel disappointed when we open those presents and see what is inside - or rather what isn't  inside. I know that many readers have recently celebrated Thanksgiving, which focuses heavily on gratitude but for those of us who don't celebrate it, this is also a nice time to be reminded of the things we have and for which we should be grateful.  Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher, which explains quite a bit about this particular quote. The beauty of the Stoic philosophers was that they came from very different backgrounds, bringing their own unique experiences and up-bringings into their philosophy. Epictetus, for example, was born a slave, whereas Marcus Aurelius was an emperor....

  How do you feel about non-fiction books? I love them. Covering a wide range of topics, in many different formats and lengths, I believe there is a non-fiction book for everyone. Generally, I prefer history or philosophy books, but can also be taken by art books, travel, spirituality, or anything really that grabs my interest! Sometimes a book will grab my interest and I'll read the whole thing, cover to cover. Other times a chapter here or an excerpt there is enough to This week I thought I would share with you the non-fiction books that are on my desk. These have all come from the library and have developed from a prior interest of mine.  The Top Five Regrets of the Dying ~ Bronnie Wa re I didn't get too far into this book before I started crying. Bronnie Ware is such a genuine, warm-hearted person and in this book she reflects on the time spent with people at the end of their lives in her role as a palliative carer. Even though she originally began with no f...

  Welcome back to  It's a Classical Life,  and if this is your first time here, welcome! Each week I try and post a little quote which I call Bitesize Inspiration. Other posts are usually longer, but these ones I try to keep short but inspiring. The idea is to take what you will from the quote, without my waffling on! I take inspiration from a wide range of sources, from classic writers, musicians, poets, philosophers, historians and more. This week, I have some  Stoic inspiration for you. The Stoics are one of my favourite sources for inspiration, as their beliefs and values continue to remain relevant and timeless.  In today's quote Epictetus gives us some fairly common sensical advice. However, I believe that common sense is lacking in many people's lives these days, so perhaps we could all do with being reminded of it more often! Persist and resist. Have the courage and perseverance to keep moving toward what is good, and the self-control and...

Welcome back to It's a Classical Life! I took a week off from blogging over Easter to visit some family and generally relax. It was lovely and you can see some pictures from our travels in this post. I did, however, keep reading my classics - current read is The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I'm enjoying it so much and just like A Room With a View by E.M. Foster it is really making me think about English society one or two hundred years ago. I know these books are considered modern classics, but it still amazes me how much has changed and yet, how very little has remained the same in our world. There are still prejudices, still quarrelling families, still heartache and anxiety. It got me thinking about how we can use the classics to help us with our everyday lives, and how just by reading them, we can reap so many benefits.  If you are a regular visitor here you may already know and appreciate these benefits of reading the classics, but if you are new to it, or struggling...

  Welcome back to It's a Classical Life. We are now a week into 2024 and I hope that this year will bring you much fulfilment and happiness. I know this is the time for people to be making (and possibly breaking) their New Year's Resolutions  and it's common for these resolutions to be centred around our wellbeing, and perhaps the wellbeing of those around us.  Zeno - one of my favourite Stoic philosophers - reminds us, though, that wellbeing is realised by small steps. Small, easy steps that we can incorporate into our everyday as seamlessly as possible. He doesn't suggest that wellbeing comes from hours of sweating through hard workouts, intense meditation or yoga retreats, strict eating regimes or long therapy sessions. Small steps . Baby steps even. The contradiction, or paradox, lies in the second part of his quote. It is truly no small thing. If wellbeing is realised through small steps, then why does it still feel so elusive to so many people? Perhaps because ...

 In this new series, I am reflecting on a quote from a classic author, poet or novelist, or another small tidbit of inspiration, in just a few lines.The aim is to take inspiration from delicious, bite-sized morsels, without a long, overwhelming blog post. So let's begin with the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius on the topic of work and having a purpose. "In the morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present - I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world? Or have I been made for this, to lie in the bedclothes and keep myself warm? - But this is more pleasant. - Dost thou exist then to take thy pleasure, and not at all for action or exertion? Dost thou not see the little plants, the little birds, the ants, the spiders, the bees working together to put in order their several parts of the universe?" I think we can all sympa...