Stoicism is a philosophical approach that works very well when applied in everyday life. This subfield of philosophy may teach you a lot that will be useful in the business world, including how to be more resilient in the face of adversity, how to face difficulties with a higher degree of success, and how to better overcome hurdles.

If you bring up Greek philosophy in a conversation with businesspeople, you shouldn’t be surprised if you receive a few curious looks. If you were to tell a business owner that the world is an unpredictable place, that our lives are fleeting sparks of light amidst an eternity of darkness, and that our senses, rather than our logic, often dictate how we feel about certain things, you might be lucky to get nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders and a quiet “so what?” in response.

Stoicism for Entrepreneurs? Pull the Other One.

One aspect of this subfield of philosophy that is often overlooked is the fact that there are practical applications that may be derived from it. At its core is a philosophy of practical application. If you’ve read the post that we wrote about practicing mindfulness meditation, then what we have to say next will make perfect sense in the context of this aspect of personal growth. Stoicism is a virtue that may provide certain advantages. It has the potential to assist you in being resilient in the face of hardship and in maintaining emotional control even in the most challenging of situations. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve had to deal with negative feelings when things have gone wrong, you’ll know how tough it can be to keep your composure and make the correct choices while you’re in the heat of the moment. When you allow yourself to be controlled by negative emotions like panic or fear, you reduce the likelihood that you will make strategic decisions that are in the best interest of your firm.

What’s it about?

Stoicism is beneficial to business owners in a number of different ways. These are the following:

Imagining the worst case scenario: Instead of focusing on the worst, we often choose to spend our time considering what it is that we desire and how we may get it. After all, those who go into business for themselves tend to be optimistic and active. However, devoting some of your time to imagining potentially disastrous outcomes and analyzing in great detail the effects of those outcomes will help you come up with solutions that will get you out of sticky situations in the event that they do arise.

Stoics are known for their focus on control, which means that although they do make plans for the future, they do not take into account events or circumstances that are outside their direct influence. That indicates that you are looking at something like a sales proposal from a distinct perspective Your customer’s decision to purchase or not is not in your control; what you can control is how effectively you offer your product or service to them; they are the ones who make that decision, not you. It’s only a little shift in how you think about things, but it will help you concentrate more on the things that are in your direct control without reducing your overall performance. To put it another way, instead of fretting about how the client will react and provoking unfavorable feelings, you concentrate on the aspects of the situation that you are certain you can control.

There are several more essential components of stoicism that businesspeople will discover to be of tremendous use. For instance, not seeking wealth but shifting attention to providing what customers really need and how you are going to deliver it better; not pursuing goals that make you unhappy and valuing freedom more than the constraints of life choices that may not be right for you. These are just a few examples of how you are not seeking wealth but shifting attention to providing what customers really need and how you are going to deliver it better.

Stoicism and Meditation

Last but not least, the practice of meditation is intimately connected to the cultivation of a Stoic worldview. The practice of mindfulness enables us to make the world around us more straightforward. When you are an entrepreneur, things may often seem to be really difficult, and the strain and tension may give the impression that they are impossible to overcome. Stoicism is a philosophical school of thought that emphasizes maintaining composure in the face of adversity and developing a set of skills that may be invaluable in navigating life’s curveballs.