People misread the Stoics as cold, but they didn't aim to kill feeling. Seneca felt grief, anger, fear; he just refused to let them captain the ship. The goal is steadiness, not numbness. You can be sad without being swept away. You can be afraid and still act well. The emotion is a wave that rises and passes; you don't have to obey it or pretend it's absent. Naming a feeling honestly actually loosens its grip, more than denying it ever could. Today, when a strong feeling comes, let it be there without arguing with it, and notice that you can still choose your next move while it's present.

Inspired by the old idea of response not reaction. Written by Ugo Charles.