 What's up Realized Men, I'm Sim and today I'll be replacing Isaac by making this video for him. I'm going to be talking about Stoicism and the power of our mind. One of the most recognized Stoic philosophers, Lucius and Neia Seneca or Seneca the Younger was a statesman, the richest man in Rome and the personal mentor of the Emperor Nero. He was like a high performance coach for him. In particular, one of his quotes talks about the immense power of our mind which we all possess. Quote, most powerful is he who has himself in his own power. What it basically means is that we are all capable of being in control of our thoughts and actions but it's only the select few who are capable of achieving such control. It also silently refers to the fact that lack thereof breeds weakness and thus being subject to circumstance not the other way around. The core essence of this quote is self mastery which is a recurring idea used by many other famous thinkers as well. Lao Tzu said, quote, he who controls others is powerful but he who has mastered himself is mightier still. That's the truth because paradoxically it's much harder to master yourself than it is to rule others. We are social creatures and unwary minds tend to fall suit to figures of authority. Unconditioned minds will also fall victim to their own limiting beliefs, self doubt, bad habits or given to immediate gratification. If someone has achieved self mastery then it would reflect in their entire being which in turn makes them more credulous and attractive. How do you attain this invaluable skill of mastering yourself and being awesome at life? Self mastery consists of the two things that truly belong to ourselves. They are our thoughts and actions. The voice we have inside our head and the activities we're capable of accomplishing on the outside. It starts with coming to terms with the fact that we can't control what happens to us but only our response to it. This puts the responsibility solely on us, not our circumstances, not other people, not our bad genes, whatever they may be and not the bad weather either. Instead it gets put entirely on our own beliefs, desires and willpower. Another one of Sinek's awesome quotes says, quote, it is the power of the mind to be unconquerable. Whatever we hold to be true or right, our mindset can overwrite any physical feeling of discomfort or mental hindrance. The only thing separating you from what you want to accomplish is yourself, yourself. To not fall victim to yourself you need to master yourself. Be in control or be controlled. That's the conflict between our subconscious mind and higher self. Achieving self mastery starts with mastering your thoughts and actions. Not in a restrictive sense but as a means of achieving true freedom. Freedom from whatever may come to be knowing that you can always find happiness and strength from within. Self awareness plays a crucial role in this. It's the highest of meta qualities you want to develop in your life because it allows you to see yourself from an external perspective and make adjustments to your own behaviour. Without knowing thyself you wouldn't be able to master anything nor to tap into your inner genius. Consciously reflecting back on your own behaviour and actually trying to make improvements marks the point where you can start making progress and eventually achieve mastery. There are many practices you can do daily to increase your level of awareness such as meditation, journaling, self enquiry and listening to the silence. What Seneca did to routinely become more aware of himself was a deep contemplation session at night. He asked, what infirmity have I mastered today? What passions opposed? What temptation resisted? What virtue acquired? Our vices will abort of themselves if they be brought every day to the shrift. Better have that vice abortion. That's the key here. You have to do this regularly as to make being more conscious as a habitual part of who you are. Don't think that you're somehow above this and don't need to self reflect. Thinking like so is just another trap created by our subconscious mind. Those who achieve great things haven't done so because of luck. It's about making good and honest decisions all the time and following best practices of mastery day in and day out. To end here with Seneca, quote, no man was wise by chance. Thanks for watching, I'm Seem, I want to thank Isaac again for giving me this opportunity to speak to your audience because I believe we share a lot of commonalities. If you want to watch more of my stuff then check out my YouTube channel at Seem Lund. I make videos about body mind empowerment and becoming a realized man. Thanks for watching again, I'm Seem and stay empowered.