Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.
In today’s episode, we explore a simple but powerful December practice: returning to a few meaningful books as a way to reflect, reset, and prepare for the year ahead. This is a time when many people think about change, but the Stoics approached renewal differently. For them, reflection wasn’t about waiting for January 1st, it was about using this moment, right now, to strengthen the mind and clarify intention.

At the heart of this episode is the idea that reading is not an escape but a form of self-examination. He isn’t urging perfectionism, but pointing us toward small, present-moment choices, the kind of choices this yearly reading ritual helps illuminate.

Here are a few Stoic practices from this episode you can explore in your own life:

• Reflective reading — return to books that ground you, not for new information but to renew your mindset and revisit forgotten insights.
• Preparing the mind early — instead of waiting for New Year’s resolutions, use December as your mental runway to understand why you want to change.
• Examining impressions — pause when you feel pulled toward old habits and ask yourself what belief or expectation sits underneath the impulse.
• Daily philosophical reminders — create your own “handbook” of quotes or ideas that steady you when life becomes noisy.

This episode is a quiet invitation to step back from the rush of the year and reconnect with what matters. The books Benny discusses — Man’s Search for Meaning, Epictetus’ Handbook, and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations are not just texts but companions that sharpen attention, deepen gratitude, and restore a sense of direction. By returning to them, we rediscover that Stoicism is not about cold detachment. It is about remembering who we want to be and choosing to live with clarity, courage, and a bit more kindness toward ourselves.

Listen to the full episode now and discover how end-of-year reflection can transform the way you think, act, and see your life.

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🎙️ Produced by: badmic.com

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.

In today’s Stoic Quotes episode, we explore a powerful teaching from Epictetus taken from the Handbook (Enchiridion), Section 4, a short, concentrated guide to Stoic practice.

“When you are about to undertake some action, remind yourself what sort of action it is.”
Epictetus, Handbook, 4

This simple instruction contains a profound Stoic discipline: prepare your mind before entering situations where frustration, irritation, or impatience are likely to arise. Epictetus uses the example of going to the public baths in ancient Rome, a chaotic place full of noise, crowds, and annoyances. His point is timeless: if you remember what you are stepping into, you won’t be surprised by what happens inside it.

What he’s really pointing to is the Stoic principle of prosochē, attentive presence. When you anticipate the nature of the situation, you protect your freedom of response. You remember that your task is not just to “take a bath,” or “drive a car,” or “stand in a queue,” but to keep your choices aligned with nature, meaning aligned with reason, patience, and virtue.

When you adopt this mindset, daily life becomes far less reactive. You stop wishing people were different and begin practicing who you want to be.

In practical terms, this teaching can help you:
• Reduce frustration in situations you already know will test you — driving, airports, crowded shops, delays.
• Take a brief mental pause before entering a task and ask, “What am I about to do — and who do I want to be while doing it?”
• Shift from reacting to others’ behavior toward fulfilling your own role with patience, calm, and steadiness.

By preparing your mind before the moment, you create space for virtue within the moment.

For more, check out this related article with quotes on how to take the right action:
https://viastoica.com/how-to-take-right-action-like-a-stoic/
And if you’re looking for more Stoic sayings, visit viastoica.com, where you’ll find hundreds of quotes with full references to the original texts:
https://viastoica.com/stoic-quotes
https://viastoica.com/marcus-aurelius-quotes
https://viastoica.com/epictetus-quotes
https://viastoica.com/seneca-quotes

Make sure to subscribe for more Stoic Quotes episodes every Friday, as well as our Tuesday interviews and longer discussions.

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https://viastoica.com
https://viastoica.com/stoic-life-coaching
https://viastoica.com/benny-voncken
https://x.com/ViaStoica
info@viastoica.com

Produced by: badmic.com

Welcome to the Via Stoica Podcast, the podcast on Stoicism.

In this episode, we explore the roots of Stoic thought through Donald Robertson’s new book, How to Think Like Socrates. Instead of beginning with Marcus Aurelius, we step back to the source, to a philosopher who shaped the very way the Stoics learned to think. Socrates invites us to examine our beliefs, question our assumptions, and approach life with clarity and honesty.

Listen to the full episode now and discover how the Socratic method can sharpen your thinking and deepen your Stoic practice.

Support the show
viastoica.com

viastoica.com/stoic-life-coaching

viastoica.com/benny-voncken

YouTube: @viastoica
info@viastoica.com

Produced by: badmic.com