Stoic Senseis, Volume 2: Seneca's Survival Guide
Back before self-help became a billion-dollar industry with matching journals and curated incense, Seneca the Younger was writing fiery letters to friends about how not to completely lose your shit. He was a Roman philosopher, a political advisor (to Emperor Nero, no less), and a man who understood that life is short, messy, and often absurd—but still worth showing up for.
If you’ve ever stared at your to-do list and thought, "What fresh hell is this?"—congrats, you’re human. And Seneca would’ve totally gotten it. He might’ve judged you a little, but with love. He knew the deal: life isn’t about waiting for things to settle down. It’s about learning how to live right now—in the chaos, not after it.
"Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life."
This quote isn’t just a poetic slap in the face (though... it is). It’s a Stoic mic drop. Seneca wasn’t saying YOLO—he was saying stop hoarding your life like it’s some savings account you’ll eventually spend. Start spending it now. Today. Even if your hair’s a mess and the world’s on fire.
So how do you actually do that?
Let’s break it down, Seneca-style:
1. Stop scrolling. Start living.
Seneca’s version: It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.
Translation: You're not actually as time-starved as you think. You're just leaking hours into things that don’t matter. (Looking at you, three-hour TikTok wormhole.)
2. Expect the worst—but not in a Debbie Downer way.
Seneca taught something called premeditatio malorum—the premeditation of evils. It's basically mental dress rehearsal for shit hitting the fan.
Try it: Think about something that could go wrong this week. Now imagine how you’d handle it like the unbothered, emotionally regulated legend you aspire to be. See? Stoicism is just emotionally intelligent pessimism with a plan.
3. Your feelings are valid. But your panic attacks aren’t prophets.
Seneca said, "We suffer more often in imagination than in reality."
That stress spiral? That 2 a.m. “what if” train to Worst Case Scenario Town? Seneca’s been there. And he’s telling you to get off at the next stop.
4. You don’t need a retreat. You need a reset.
Seneca didn’t have Airbnbs in Bali. He had a pen, a porch, and a commitment to reflection. Make space to check in with your own damn self. Daily. Not someday. Not when things calm down. Now.
TL;DR: Channel your inner Seneca.
Don’t save your life for later. Live it now.
Practice facing hard shit so it doesn’t wreck you.
Recognize when your brain is lying to you.
Use your time like it matters—because it does.
Modern life is exhausting. But wisdom ages well, and Seneca’s still got our backs—letters and all. So pour your coffee, take a breath, and begin at once to live. Today counts.