The Stoic Diet
A person wishing to regain his soul and lose weight should follow the simple principles that have guided Stoics towards happiness for over 2500 years.
- Refrain from reaching beyond yourself to grab for things you (think) you want; remember all things come from the gods not from your own hands. Refrain from reaching into the sphere of the gods; be grateful for what they give you
- Protect yourself from reaching beyond yourself through the practice of virtue, which is a name for the practice of maintaining yourself separate and whole. Learn that “no” is the beginning and end of virtue though not its reward
- Seek as much as possible to live upon oneself by feeding at the wellspring of your soul. When hungry (spiritually, physically or emotionally) first look within for sustenance and wait patiently as your inherent happiness circulates from its source to your consciousness. Say “not yet” as you wait but be expectant of your happiness
- Prove to yourself that you are hungry (that is, that nature insists that you reach out) before you allow yourself to eat. Use Reason to set the upper limit to what nature requires to keep you alive and limit yourself to Reason’s dictates. Remember Reason keeps you safe from drowning in the sea of desire and from being reabsorbed into the nothingness – Reason is the Sentinel of our Souls
- Remember you will not starve though you may feel pain. Accept and even learn to enjoy the pain hunger brings, for it is part of you and comes from within
- Above all, seek to live from within yourself as much as nature allows and have faith that the gods will provide the very few things nature requires to keep you whole. Enjoy being whole.
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