Epictetus No Excuses Just Choices Analysis

The selected readings cover the topics of self-awareness and the power of choice, the importance of developing self-awareness, ancient wisdom regarding personal mindfulness, Stoicism, the ideology and model of Epictetus and the thought provoking bumper sticker, “No Excuses Just Choices.” The designated material emphasizes the significance of looking deeply at the way you think, behave, respond, and feel. As individuals become more aware of how they contemplate and operate on a cognitive level they gain the ability to choose more beneficial responses to life’s negative situations and in return can live more peaceful, productive, and balanced lives. Self-awareness begins when a person is willing to pause and take an honest look at how …show more content…
Epictetus emphasized self-responsibility and discounted the notion of hiding behind negative life experiences to define one’s life path. He supported the idea of detaching from emotion and instead basing one’s decisions on logic and moral principles. The bumper sticker in the prescribed reading states, “No Excuses Just Choices.” This simple phrase produces an opportunity for profound contemplation of one’s thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Moreover, if allowance is made these words can encourage and inspire valuable, positive change in a person’s life, giving them a sense of control over their individual destiny. …show more content…
The Stoic philosophy still rings as true for us today as it did all those centuries ago in ancient Greece. Individuals willing to become mindful of themselves and implement conscious awareness to their attention and actions become free to live harmonious lives with the world around them. Epictetus is an amazing example of the transformative power of one’s thoughts. He demonstrated through example how and individual’s cognitive awareness awards personal power to overcome some of life’s greatest adversities. When the trials and tribulations of life confront us we have the capacity to choose to respond constructively in order to make the best of every situation. Once we learn to recognize that emotions only have the ability to control life situations if we allow them to we can then select the course of action that will lead us to our greatest good. “No Excuses Just Choices” promotes not only the concept of self-awareness but also that of self-responsibility. Each of us is responsible for our own lives. Many books and self-help gurus point to the fact that we are where we are because of the choices we make. I agree with this philosophy as it takes the power for navigating life out of the hands of others and places it in our own hands positioning each of us at the helm of our own