In this episode, I sit with one of the hardest Stoic ideas to live by: the sphere of choice. Epictetus draws a sharp line between what belongs to us—our judgments, intentions, and actions—and everything else we spend our lives worrying about. I explore what it looks like to actually confront that boundary when life feels aimless, heavy, and stripped of direction.
I speak honestly about drifting through my days without a clear purpose, about surviving rather than striving, and about how fear of regret, failure, and repeating past mistakes has left me hesitant to choose anything at all. I reflect on how much of my exhaustion comes from placing importance on outcomes, identities, and circumstances that were never truly mine to control in the first place.
This episode also touches on addiction, distraction, and attachment—both obvious and subtle—and how they quietly pull attention away from what I still have power over. Even after years of studying Stoicism, I admit how difficult it is to stop blaming circumstances, the world, or even my past self, instead of taking responsibility for the judgments I’m making right now.
What I come back to, again and again, is this: even if I can’t find a grand purpose, even if the future feels unclear, I still have my choices. I may not control outcomes, stability, or how others act—but I do shape my character through how I respond. This episode isn’t about having answers. It’s about learning to stop fighting reality, to release claims over what isn’t mine, and to begin practicing responsibility without self-punishment.
If you’ve been feeling stuck between knowing what you should focus on and struggling to actually do it, this episode is a reminder that steadiness doesn’t come from fixing life—it comes from tending to the small, difficult work of choosing well, one day at a time.
Thank you for listening and joining me on my journey of self-discovery!
Mediations and Prompts influenced from The Daily Stoic Books
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