The Stoic Handbook with Jon Brooks
Sep 17, 2026 · 7 min · 4 segments
A 7-minute guided Stoic practice for the morning of a presentation, interview, difficult meeting or test. You will rehearse one realistic setback, separate what is yours from what is not, and choose…
Jon BrooksHost
The Stoics had a preparation practice and it's the opposite of what most people do.
So most modern advice says, "Picture things going well," right? "Picture them going perfectly.
Manifest it." Whereas the Stoics said, "Picture it going wrong on purpose while you're in a calm state." Premeditatio malorum, rehearsing the difficulty in advance.
And if you've already met the bad version that you're worrying about in your head, but you do it in a calm, contemplative way, it doesn't surprise you when it happens.
But once the arrow leaves, the wind, the temperature, the humidity, the universe has its say.
Today we are going to just focus on aiming well and then just let go of the arrow.
The Stoics had a preparation practice and it's the opposite of what most people do.
So most modern advice says, "Picture things going well," right? "Picture them going perfectly.
Manifest it." Whereas the Stoics said, "Picture it going wrong on purpose while you're in a calm state." Premeditatio malorum, rehearsing the difficulty in advance.
And if you've already met the bad version that you're worrying about in your head, but you do it in a calm, contemplative way, it doesn't surprise you when it happens.
But once the arrow leaves, the wind, the temperature, the humidity, the universe has its say.
Today we are going to just focus on aiming well and then just let go of the arrow.
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