Stoicism gave me my life back

It’s January 2026, and the quiet in my morning feels almost suspicious.

- ANNA MAE YU LAMENTILLO

Not the empty quiet of avoidance—the kind I used to chase. This is the quiet that shows up when I’m actually present. When my phone isn’t the first thing I touch. When last night didn’t end in “just one more.” When my body isn’t negotiating with my choices.

I lace up my shoes and step outside. The air is cold enough to sting, and for a moment my mind tries to bargain: Not today. Start tomorrow. You’ve had a long week. The familiar chorus.

And then a newer voice—steadier, less dramatic—cuts in: This is the work. This is the point.

Stoicism has done many things for me, but the biggest is this: it has turned my life from a debate into a practice.

From ‘How do I feel?’ to ‘What do I choose?’