A short podcast episode (Heroic+1) by Brian Johnson reflecting on David Fiedler’s book Breakfast with Seneca. Johnson emphasizes the Stoic idea that possessions are ‘on loan from the universe,’ urges repeated practice to internalize the lesson, and shares personal admiration for Seneca alongside Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. The episode encourages humility, gratitude, and wholehearted action in light of impermanence.
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic one. In our last one, we explored some Stoic memento mori wisdom. More specifically, we Open to page 5 of our Philosopher's notes on Breakfast with Seneca by David Fiedler. As you may recall, Feidler tells us, one of my favorite Stoic ideas is that everything we have or believe that we possess is just on loan from the universe. Everything. And one day all those things will need to be returned. Now that's a really powerful idea and an even more powerful practice. So today I want to chat more about David Fidler and his great book, Breakfast with Seneca. I got this book immediately after Tom Morris recommended it in his new book, Stoicism for Dummies. It's fantastic. I've always loved Seneca and I can still vividly remember reading his Letters from a stoic nearly 25 years ago on a boat in the Mediterranean, not too far from where Seneca wrote the letters 2000 years ago while on a philosophical quest that included studying Socrates in Athens, Jesus in Jerusalem, Rumi in Turkey, and Aurelius near the Danube in Hungary. But other than that high level overview and some references to Seneca in all the other books on Stoicism we featured, there's never been a book all about Seneca and his wisdom until this one. And this book is now one of my all time favorite books on Stoicism. It made me fall in love with Seneca. In fact, as you know, if you've been following along, I've often said that Epictetus is my favorite teacher and Aurelius is my favorite leader. But Seneca is a fascinating blend of both of their best qualities. I think he might just be my favorite Stoic and I just got all of his other letters so I can study him more deeply. Much more coming soon. We'll explore some wisdom from the book in the next few plus ones. For today, I want to go back to what we focused on yesterday. Repetition, repetition, repetition. It's how we move from theory to practice to mastery. Hero. I repeat, Feid, what tells us one of my favorite Stoic ideas is that everything we have or believe that we possess is just on loan from the universe. Everything. In one day, all those things will need to be returned. And I repeat, one day sooner than most of us would like to contemplate our lives and all those things in it will need to be returned. And with that potent wisdom in mind, let's not take our lives and any everything in it for granted. Rather, let's follow the lead of the wisest among us and each of us at our wisest moments and see our lives and any everything in it as gifts generously on loan from a benevolent universe. And let's have the humility to know. Goosebumps, sweaty palms, hard skip. All of those gifts that are currently on loan will need to be returned much sooner. Sooner than most of us would like to contemplate. Then let's go all in. As we activate our heroic potential and give ourselves, our families, our friends, our colleagues, our communities and the world all we've got today.
