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Virtues: Acceptance

November 25, 2025December 3, 2025 B. John 180 Views 0 Comments virtue, wisdom, equanimity, Stoicism, Resilience, Acceptance, life transitions, grief

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series The Stoic Virtues

This entry is part 51 of 54 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Acceptance is not resignation. It is the moment when the mind stops fighting reality and starts working with it. I learned that watching a man who rides a three-wheeled electric bike around Tampa with a smile that seems to rise from the inside out.

The Stoics taught that acceptance begins when we stop struggling against what we cannot change. I have been learning this the slow way, through grief, uncertainty, and the small moments that reveal what the heart is holding.

Featured Religion Society Stoicism

Introduction to Stoic Virtues

December 4, 2025December 3, 2025 B. John 100 Views 0 Comments Stoic Virtues, Mercy, Restraint, self-control, Integrity, humility

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series The Stoic Virtues

This entry is part 53 of 54 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Most of us try to live with some mix of courage, honesty, and patience, but we rarely stop to ask where those instincts come from or what they are pulling us toward. I spent months working through the Stoic practices without realizing they were preparing me for something larger. Only later did I see that these routines were pointing me toward the four Stoic virtues. Wisdom. Courage. Justice. Temperance. Not as lofty ideals, but as quiet directions for daily life.

This new essay opens the door to that deeper work. It reflects on how the practices steady us and how the virtues give that effort its shape and purpose. If you want to see where this journey leads next, the full piece is up now.

Photo image of female looking across the distance

Featured Stoicism

Stoic Virtues: The Courage to Decide

December 22, 2025December 22, 2025 B. John 97 Views 0 Comments Moral Clarity, endurance, grief, wisdom, Courage, Life Lessons, Faith, Stoicism

This entry is part 54 of 54 in the series Journey Through Stoicism

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series The Stoic Virtues

Most of us think courage looks like pushing forward, fighting, and refusing to give in. But sometimes courage takes a quieter form. Sometimes it shows up not as effort, but as clarity, not as resistance, but as resolve.

During my mother’s final hospital stay, she listened patiently as doctors talked about rehab and recovery. After they left, she said calmly, “I’m just done.” She wasn’t asking for permission or advice. She was stating a decision shaped by a lifetime of endurance. A woman raised in scarcity. A woman who carried family responsibility without complaint. A woman who knew the difference between fear, despair, and judgment.

In this essay, I reflect on what her final decision taught me about courage. Drawing on Stoic philosophy, scripture, and lived experience, I explore courage not as bravado, but as alignment. Not as clinging, but as choosing without illusion. If you’ve ever wondered what courage really looks like when life stops negotiating, I invite you to read more.