What have the Romans ever done for us? Well, obviously the roads – the roads go without saying. How about guidance for how to live in the 21st century? That seems less likely, but in fact the last few years have seen a flurry of interest in the work of three Roman Stoic philosophers who offered just that. They were Seneca, tutor to the Emperor Nero; Epictetus, a former slave; and Marcus Aurelius, himself emperor.

Stoicism holds that the key to a good, happy life is the cultivation of an excellent mental state, which the Stoics identified with virtue and being rational. The ideal life is one that is in harmony with Nature, of which we are all part, and an attitude of calm indifference towards external events. It began in Greece, and was founded around 300BC by Zeno, who used teach at the site of the Painted Stoa in Athens, hence the name Stoicism. The works of the early Stoics are for the most part lost, so it is the Roman Stoics who have been most influential over the centuries, and continue to be today.

So, what were the ideas? Two foundational principles can both be found in the Handbook, a short work summarising the ideas of Epictetus. The first is that some things are within our control and some are not, and that much of our unhappiness is caused by thinking that we can control things that, in fact, we can’t.

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What can we control? Epictetus argues that we actually control very little. We don’t control what happens to us, we can’t control what the people around us say or do, and we can’t even fully control our own bodies, which get damaged and sick and ultimately die without regard for our preferences. The only thing that we really control is how we think about things, the judgements we make about things.

This leads us to the second foundational principle from Epictetus: it’s not things that upset us, but how we think about things. Stuff happens. We then make judgements about what happens. If we judge that something really bad has happened, then we might get upset, sad, or angry, depending on what it is. If we judge that something bad is likely to happen then we might get scared or fearful. All these emotions are the product of the judgements we make. Things in themselves are value neutral, for what might seem terrible to us might be a matter of indifference to someone else, or even welcomed by others. It’s the judgements we make that introduce value into the picture, and it’s those value judgements that generate our emotional responses.

The good Stoic news is that these value judgements are the one thing over which we have complete control. Things happen, none of which are inherently good or bad, and it’s within our power to decide how we value them. The paradox of Stoicism, as Epictetus formulates it, is that we have almost no control over anything, yet at the same time we have potentially complete control over our happiness.

At first glance, this might seem to understate the very real challenges that people face in their daily lives. How can just thinking differently help someone who is struggling to put food on their table, for instance? The Stoics didn’t shy away from this. They fully acknowledged that life can be hard sometimes.

Seneca knew this all too well: he suffered exile, multiple bereavements, and was ultimately forced to commit suicide by Nero. He also knew that it was all too easy to say “I’m not going to let these external things disturb me” but quite another to follow through and not be disturbed oneself.

The Independent's Happy List 2017 Show all 50 1 /50 The Independent's Happy List 2017 The Independent's Happy List 2017 1. Shamash Alidina, Rosa Connor and Victoria Johnson [L-R: Shamash, Rosa and Vicky] London’s Museum of Happiness believes in a happier, kinder and more playful world. It’s a not-for-profit social enterprise run by Shamash, Rosa and Victoria to provide experiences that offer people of all backgrounds the chance to learn about living happier, more fulfilling lives. They organise interactive exhibitions, workshops and events to bring the science of happiness alive. One person who nominated the trio said: “In lonely London I found love, fun and a lot of new friends at Museum of Happiness. They make me happy!” The Independent's Happy List 2017 2. Joe Attridge “Without volunteers like Joe we simply could not do what we do,” says one member of the North London Hospice, where Joe has helped out for over 10 years. “Not only does he raise thousands of pounds for us every year, he also tirelessly provides emotional support to those who need it most. Joe’s compassion and patience is truly outstanding and he has an amazing affect on our patients. He is a very special individual.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 3. Joanna Bevan As a volunteer at The Kindness Offensive, Joanna is devoted to improving life for those in need across London and further afield. Some of her achievements include running Foundation Speak Street which offers free weekly English language lessons for refugees, helping to create a sensory garden for special needs children, and organising free day trips for the elderly to museums and places of interest. Joanna is described as a ‘selfless character who is always working towards building better communities.’ The Independent's Happy List 2017 4. Max Brennan Child of Courage Max, from Brixworth, Northampton, has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which means he tires easily and gets severe pain in his bones and joints. Some days he finds holding himself up too hard and suffers multiple falls. But five-year-old Max is determined to help other children, He set up Max’s Marvellous Mission which saw him take part in a Superhero Run to raise over £4,000 for the Newlife Foundation, a charity which supports families across the UK to purchase equipment for disabled children. The Independent's Happy List 2017 5. Sarah Burrows Sarah, from Oxfordshire, was inspired to set up Children Heard and Seen after she learnt that 65% of boys who have a parent with a conviction go on to offend themselves. The charity provides support to children of prisoners in one-to-one and group settings to help reduce the likelihood of generational offending, mental health issues and family breakdown. Activities includes creating songs to express their feelings about having a parent in prison and making scrapbooks for their loves one. The Independent's Happy List 2017 6. Matt Callanan Matt’s project We Make Good Happen will see him do 403 good deeds, and he hopes to inspire others to do a million more. So far, Matt, from Cardiff, has put on a party for 100 year old lady in care home and hidden twenty £10 notes around his home city (with two rules - don’t spend it on yourself and do some good with it), an idea which went viral. Matt was inspired to do all this as a way of continuing his late father’s good deeds. The Independent's Happy List 2017 7. John Cattle John runs a weekly skate club on the Isle of Wight, teaching over 200 people of all ages to skateboard. But, according to his pupils, he does much more than that. One of the many who nominated John says: “He teaches you to be brave, tackle your fears, trust people and have fun.” John gives extra free sessions for those who need extra help, including children with anger issues who find it hard to learn with others. Another person who nominated him said: “He has infinite patience and helps build confidence in all who meet him.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 8. Emily Chalke (R) and Rachel Price (L) This duo created Ella’s Home, Emily had the vision and Rachel helped make it happen. Ella's Home is a safe house in London where women can recover from trafficking and sexual exploitation. Named after Ella whom Emily met and helped nearly 5 years ago, the project offers long term recovery support. Emily and team work hard to ensure the home is a welcoming place for women to live and recover until they are ready for independent living. The team also provide essential outreach and long term support to women across London who have experienced sexual exploitation and trafficking. The Independent's Happy List 2017 9. Ann Marie Cockburn Since losing her 15 year old daughter Martha in 2013 to an accidental overdose, Anne-Marie has relentlessly campaigned throughout the UK (and internationally) for drug laws to be reviewed. Originally from Ayrshire, Scotland, and now living in Oxford, Anne-Marie regularly tells her story in order to raise awareness and to save anyone else from losing another Martha. She has written a book (5,742 Days) and a play called What Martha Did Next. She tells her story to prisoners with The Forgiveness Project's 'Restore' Programme and campaigns with the charity 'Anyone's Child: Families for Safer Drug Control'. The Independent's Happy List 2017 10. Jamie Collier Chef Jamie has been a volunteer cooking tutor with Cyrenians Good Food social enterprise for many years, helping to nurture a passion for good food in people who experience mental and physical ill health. One person who nominated Jamie says: “He embodies the concept of cooking being about love, kindness and caring about others. In Jamie’s own business he has taken on people who are long term unemployed and given them a sense of purpose. His passionate teaching puts a smile on so many faces, and quite simply he has helped many turn their lives around.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 11. Josh Coombes Hairdresser Josh has an enormous salon; the streets of London. For the past year this 29-year-old has been giving free haircuts to homeless people, posting photos of his scissor-work on Instagram. It's part of Josh's campaign #DoSomethingforNothing which has encouraged people around the globe to help others any way they can and give a voice to society's marginalised. One person who nominated Josh says: “With shears in hand and love in heart, this bloke is giving the gift of time and attention to the invisible”. The Independent's Happy List 2017 12. Andy Cope Andy founded organisation Brilliant Communities to bring happiness projects into schools across the country. Using three-week positive psychology workshops he places students at the centre of his work to help spread kindness and wellbeing, transforming cultures in the process. Students design their own projects, which have included an induction scheme for new pupils and a record- breaking 21,000 random acts of kindness across Derby, empowering them to think about making positive changes in their own communities. The Independent's Happy List 2017 13. Karen Cully and Dale Parker This inspiring pair from Norwich started making and delivering sandwiches to the homeless in Norwich city centre four years ago, taking the bus from their hometown of Dereham, Norfolk. Now they provide a twice weekly service, called The People's Picnic, feeding more than 70 homeless or disadvantaged people. Managed and staffed completely by volunteers, The People's Picnic offers three hot food options, three desserts and sandwiches to take away, along with clothing, sleeping bag, blanket and toiletries donations. The Independent's Happy List 2017 14. Wayne Dixon Planet-saving Tsar Former soldier Wayne from Blackburn led a campaign to clean up rubbish from Britain’s countryside. Accompanied by his dog Koda and carrying a 50lb canvas backpack of kit, Wayne undertook a 7,000 mile litter sweep with Keep Britain Tidy to raise awareness of the importance of disposing of your rubbish responsibly. Wayne spent every day of his walk across Britain cleaning verges and hedgerows and using social media to spread his message. The Independent's Happy List 2017 15. Sister Peggy Ennis “A remarkable person who has spent a lifetime helping people so often marginalised by society,” says one person who nominated Sister Peggy. She has supported hundreds of people to build new lives away from addiction and crime during her 22 years as a volunteer for RAPt. Sister Peggy's work includes running workshops for people recovering from drug addiction, and she’s motivated by her unwavering belief that everyone has the capacity to change their lives for the better. The Independent's Happy List 2017 16. Samantha Everard Samantha set up The Samee Project to support people who face barriers to work in Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset. The project ‘handholds’ people who want to be self-employed or need support. and Samantha works tirelessly to help them with boost confidence, learn skills and develop self-belief. Often those in need of support are disabled, have long term illness or have fallen on bad times, and so far the project has helped more then 200 people. The Independent's Happy List 2017 17. Cemal Ezel What if your morning coffee could change lives? With the support of The Big Issue, Cemal founded social enterprise Change Please to help reduce homelessness through coffee. The scheme trains people who are homeless to be baristas on a London Living Wage, and also provides housing, a bank account and therapy. Currently operating in London, Manchester and Newcastle, and soon New York, Cemal is responsible for lifting eight people per month out of homelessness and into long-term employment. The Independent's Happy List 2017 18. Sally Field Animal Saviour This dog-mad 97-year-old has volunteered at the RSPCA's Millbrook Animal Centre in Chobham, Surrey for more than 40 years - since the centre first opened it's doors. Sally has done everything from dog walking to cleaning and cooking dinners for the rescue residents. She volunteers twice a week and has walked at least 1,000 dogs during her time, and has adopted a seemingly restrained total of seven hounds in that time. The Independent's Happy List 2017 19. Peter Finn A hip replacement five years ago hasn’t slowed down marathon runner Pete, from Rothley, Leicestershire, who clocks up the miles in aid of learning disability charity Mencap. Now aged 64. this year’s London Marathon was Pete’s 100th. He has also run around the world, in Singapore, Dublin, Hong Kong and New York, and has raised over £54,000 so far. His sons James and Rory have both taken up running as well, and they both joined Peter to complete their first marathons. The Independent's Happy List 2017 20. Rev Canon Sally Fogden Loneliness Buster In a bid to foster community spirit and tackle loneliness and isolation in rural communities retired vicar Sally Fogden set up The Rural Coffee Caravan. This mobile community café and information centre offers a place for people of all ages to socialise or access services over a free cup of tea or coffee. It provides everything from blood pressure checks to financial advice, and last year it welcomed over 5,800 Suffolk residents. Sally also volunteers for the Farming Community Network, and set up The Addington Fund to is help farmers financially in times of crisis. The Independent's Happy List 2017 21. Laura Gleadall Cancer-fighting Hero When Laura's sister Louise, 37, was diagnosed with cervical cancer Laura began an almighty fundraising journey. While juggling two jobs, looking after her son and helping to care for her sister's three children, Laura motivated her whole community to hold events, donate and spread the word to reach her target. She raised over £100,000 using JustGiving Crowdfunding to pay for Louise to have groundbreaking Immunotherapy in Germany, and Louise has now begun the treatment. The Independent's Happy List 2017 22. Louise Harrison Louise is a dedicated volunteer at Ronald McDonald House Arrowe Park, a charity which provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families while their child is being treated at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral. From training new volunteers to thinking up innovative ways to fundraise, Louise is an integral part of the team. She even kept volunteering last year whilst receiving a harsh course of radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The Independent's Happy List 2017 23. Brian Heath Community champion Aged 95, Brian still runs a community group called Strictly Tea Dancers at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne, Dorset, which encourages people of any age or ability to come together and learn to dance. This completely volunteer-run initiative helps to address social isolation, which especially affects older members of the local rural community. Brian met his partner Margaret at the Centre, and they now volunteer there together. The Independent's Happy List 2017 24. Rita Joliffe The Wizzybug Loan Scheme provides free, powered wheelchairs to disabled children across the UK. Rita, who lives near Burnham-on-Sea, travels all over the country to tell people who might benefit from the idea and help raise money for it to continue. In one year alone she raised over £28,000. Designability, the charity behind the scheme, says: “Rita is one in a million. She and her husband even requested people donate to the scheme in lieu of gifts for their golden wedding anniversary, raising £1,200 Every charity needs a Rita.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 25. Nisha Kotecha Three years ago Nisha, from London, founded Good News Shared, a website celebrating the positive stories that too often the public don’t hear about. Nisha has volunteered for charities for over 10 years, and its her mission to highlight their amazing and diverse work. After experiencing a bereavement last year she went on to create The Moments Journal, a positivity log to help people see and appreciate the good things - big or small - from their day. The Independent's Happy List 2017 26. Dr Margaret Lobo Since qualifying as a music therapist in 1987, Margaret has dedicated her life to providing therapy for people of all ages with learning disabilities, autism, neurological difficulties or mental health problems. After building a music studio in her back garden, Margaret set up the Otakar Kraus Music Trust, putting together a small team of volunteers. Today the Trust helps over 250 people annually and provides over 3,000 therapy sessions. Now in her 70s, Margaret still works to help the most vulnerable people in her community and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Middlesex. The Independent's Happy List 2017 27. Hussain Manawer When this Essex performance poet and mental health campaigner won the chance to go into space he decided to use it as a platform to raise awareness of the number of people who live with mental illness. Hussain, from Ilford, says: “I want to dedicate the trip to every single person who has suffered from mental health, every young boy, girl, man, woman who cries and doesn't know why.”. Hussain also speaks out on behalf of the “two billion sane Muslims on the planet”, saying he stands in support of the war on terror. The Independent's Happy List 2017 28. Jane McHale Jane has been working for charity The Sick Children's Trust for 17 years, starting out as a part time assistant and now running 'Home from Home', which supports families with seriously ill children. Eckersley House, which is located in Leeds General Infirmary, almost always has a waiting list, and staff say Jane goes 'above and beyond' to care for every single person. In Jane's spare time she also fundraises, doing everything from an aeroplane wing walk to knitting Christmas stockings to sell. The Independent's Happy List 2017 29. Gary McKee A beer-loving 47-year-old from Cleator Moor in Cumbria, had a better idea. He ran 100 marathons – on 100 successive days. Gary's life changed two decades ago when his father was diagnosed with cancer. Nurses from Macmillan Cancer Support became a cherished part of the McKee family during that dark time and now he has run approaching 2,700 miles to support them. What has kept him going, he says, has been the thought of those who need Macmillan’s support. The Independent's Happy List 2017 30. Helen Missen When her daughter developed anorexia six years ago Helen began working to improve the support available for everyone affected by the illness. She secured £500,000 extra funding for care from the Welsh Government and founded an Eating Disorder Forum for carers and sufferers. Helen, from Llanfyllin in Powys, is also is a Managing Trustee of Charlotte’s Helix, a charity exploring the genetics behind the illness, and despite being diagnosed with Lupus in 2013 she continues to fight for better treatment for eating disorders. The Independent's Happy List 2017 31. Sianne Morgan As well as being a foster carer of two children, Sianne has been a dedicated youth worker for over 17 years, supporting young people across Gwent who are not in education or employment. Whether it’s being a shoulder to cry on or taking them to job interviews, Sianne helps disadvantaged people achieve their best possible future. One young person said: “She’s helped myself get through some hard times, supporting me to now being in full time employment. Sianne never turns away a young person in need and is an inspiration and role model to many.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 32. Matthew and Steph Neville This couple from Birmingham had been saving to buy a house for years. However, when they finally had enough money they decided the funds would be better spent providing a home for refugees who had to flee from their own. Matthew works for Catholic aid agency CAFOD and Steph works at St Chad’s Sanctuary, providing practical support and English classes to people seeking sanctuary. They bought a house and gave it to homelessness charity Hope Projects to fill. The Independent's Happy List 2017 33. Oliver Phillips Tech entrepreneur Oliver built anti-Tinder meet-up app Meet’n’Eat to help people make friends in post-Brexit London. It encourages people who want to get to know others to eat together, matching them using GPS location data alongside filters such as age, food choice, time and date. Oliver, a master’s student at the London School of Economics, thought up the idea while struggling to find English-speaking dining companions in Asia and hopes it will help combat loneliness. The Independent's Happy List 2017 34. Paul Pulford After beating heroin addiction, Paul built a garden in the concrete courtyard of the hostel he was living in. Determined to help other people whose lives are affected by homelessness, drug and al-cohol addiction, Paul founded Grounded Ecotherapy, a project to help volunteer gardeners learn and work together to create urban sanctuaries. Through Paul’s leadership and enthusiasm mem-bers of Grounded Ecotherapy have worked with The Eden Project, Chelsea Flower Show and cre-ated a rooftop garden at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. The Independent's Happy List 2017 35. Leona Rankin After she lost her fiancé to sarcoma, Leona, from Belfast, founded a charity in April 2013 to support people living with the disease. The Boom Foundation (www.theboomfoundation.co.uk) is now the main referral charity supporting people living with sarcoma in Northern Ireland, and runs support groups and patient information days. Leona has raised over £435,000 to raise awareness and fund specialist care, splitting the money across her own initiatives in Northern Ireland and funding vital research projects alongside the charity Sarcoma UK. The Independent's Happy List 2017 36. Onjali Q Raúf “The most selfless and caring person I know,” is how one person described Onjali. She launched Making Herstory in 2011 to tackle violence against women and girls following the murder of her aunt when she was aged just 28. The organisation works in diverse ways to help society’s most vulnerable females; supporting survivors of violence and abuse; assist-ing refugees; campaigning and lobbying to give voice to disempowered women; and running edu-cation programmes in schools and colleges. The Independent's Happy List 2017 37. Kim Reuter and Russ Elias Inspirational musicians and self-confessed eccentrics Russ Elias and Kim Reuter run Shabang!, an organisation committed to creating accessible arts for children, young people and adults with additional learning needs in Huddersfield. Russ and Kim combine traditional teaching skills with their own ‘peculiar educational tomfoolery’ to encourage their audience to par-ticipate in a special, unique shared experience. One of the many who nominated them said: “Kim and Russ are absolute stars and make life so much easier for so many families - they live and breathe helping others.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 38. Sam Rowe Positivity Coach Founder, Director and CEO of The Academy of Hard Knocks, Sam was inspired to set up the initia-tive to break the cycle of youth offending by providing the youth community with guidance or role models. The organisation implements values of respect, safety, confidence, professionalism and the importance of positive community involvement. One person says: “Sam is a genuinely selfless, very inspiring human being. He runs a course for young offenders to help them to never go back, and he pushed me to do my absolute best.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 39. Mandy Sanghera Mandy is a human rights activist who has spent the last 26 years campaigning locally and nationally to campaign against forced marriages, FGM and honour violence, as well as supporting victims and survivors of violence and cultural abuse. As a motivational speaker Mandy, from Coventry, helps to empower power to rebuild their lives after abuse, and she was also involved in writing the guidelines on disability and HBV for the forced marriages unit. The Independent's Happy List 2017 40. David Savage As a volunteer for Humanists UK, David helped set up a training programme for non-religious pas-toral carers, changing the way in which care is delivered in hospitals, prisons, and universities. Be-fore this, non-religious people were unable to access like-minded support at times of crisis, meaning many often went without. For over a decade David has worked hard to ensure that this initiative has been accepted as part of chaplaincy teams all over England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The network has grown to over 150 members and has supported tens of thousands of people. David, from Farnham, still volunteers weekly as a non-religious pastoral carer at London’s Guys' and St Thomas hospital. The Independent's Happy List 2017 41. Gemma and Craig Scott Outstanding Fundraiser After losing seven family members to cancer, this young couple from Scunthorpe decided to devote all their free time to running marathons to raise money for Worldwide Cancer Research. This year sees them running 10 marathons on two continents, and they always train and run side by side. The Scotts even had their wedding themed around the London Marathon, which they ran together in 2012. The Independent's Happy List 2017 42. Josephine Segal (right) and Vanessa Crocker (left) Josephine and Vanessa, aka the “angels of kindness”, co-founded charity Spread a Smile in 2013 after seeing the positive impact a magician’s visit had on Josephine’s nephew who was receiving cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Spread a Smile now organise over 10 events a month at four London hospitals, including art workshops and VIP trips to concerts. One nominator said: “They make a real difference to the lives of seriously ill children and their families, helping to make wonderful memories during the darkest of days.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 43. Dial Sharma For the last 50 years, Dial has given up his time to help reduce isolation in the Asian community in North London and members of that community to integrate more with the wider society. As well as organising weekly get-togethers and trips to the seaside or abroad, he also organises practical help with issues such as tax, bills, English speaking, housing and immigration issues. Now aged 85, Dial recently helped Asian women with no voice in the home to gain more independence by attending coffee mornings. The Independent's Happy List 2017 44. Michelle Smith (photo credit: Ben Orrell Jones) In 2009 Michelle self-funded and set up Mpower People to empower people across Liverpool by helping them live healthier and more independent lives. Today the social enterprise offers a range of sports and healthy living education programmes, as well as training for employment opportunities, enterprise development or personal development. Initially aimed at those from disadvantaged groups, its now open to anyone who might benefit. The Independent's Happy List 2017 45. Katherine Sparkes Innovative Star Frustrated at the lack of inclusive opportunities for disabled children, Katherine founded Flamingo Chicks, a ballet school where disabled children can explore movement with friends. Over 2000 children take part each year across 14 different cities. Katherine also founded Styleability which provides body confidence workshops for young disabled adults, teaching them how to adapt cloth-ing to suit their needs. One person said: “She mobilises and inspires people to do social good - a passionate volunteer, she coaches others to be the change they want to see.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 46. Abbi White Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in the East Midlands helps care for Abbi’s brother Ryan, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy - a condition that causes all muscles to weaken. Determined to fundraise for them Abbi, 14, began creating brightly coloured pictures made from buttons to sell. So far she has raised almost £50,000. Abbi says: “I wanted people to look at my art and think of Rainbows and what an amazing place it is.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 47. Paddie McGinn Paddie began volunteering as a handyperson with charity Volunteering Matters, visiting vulnerable people where he lives in Alloa, Scotland, to help them with odd jobs around the house that they couldn’t manage. Soon Paddie also took on the responsibility of organising other volunteers - arranging visits to ensure even more people benefit from the service and helping to train new starters. Today he is also part of the befriending project, visiting older, isolated people in the local community. The Independent's Happy List 2017 48. Cliff Whyte This postman from South London goes out of his way to be friendly and cheer up everyone he meets. One person who nominated Cliff says he knows everyone's name, their children's names and even what football team they support. “He always stops to chat and takes the time to ask how everyone is, and is a very positive influence on us all. He really is part of the community, a real one in a million.” The Independent's Happy List 2017 49. Steve Wheen Steve makes mini gardens in potholes around cities, to the delight of passers-by. Each miniature creation tells a little story - from picnics to royal weddings - and one fan said; “seeing a little flower bed randomly in the pavement is just amazing, and he puts little props with them depending on the season or event.” Steve’s ‘holes of happiness’ project has taken on a life of its own, with copycat pothole gardeners popping up around the world to create joy. The Independent's Happy List 2017 50. Ann Medcalf (centre) 50. This 69-year-old volunteer (pictured centre) is described as a 'mainstay' of girl guiding in South Derbyshire. Ann has given almost 50 years of service, giving up her time to work with children of all ages, from Rain-bows, Brownies, Guides and the senior section. One person who nominated her says “Ann has devoted so much of her time to the Guide Association, she does a phenomenal job, has incredible knowledge and is well known and respected throughout the whole of the Midlands.”

So the Stoics developed a whole series of practical exercises designed to help train people to incorporate Stoic ideas into their daily lives. Seneca recommended taking stock at the end of each day, noting when you become irritated by something trivial, or act angrily in response to someone who perhaps didn’t deserve it, and so on. By noting his mistakes, he hoped to do better the next day.

Marcus Aurelius had another strategy, reminding himself each morning that he was probably going to encounter a lot of angry, stressed, impatient, ungrateful people during the coming day. By reflecting on this in advance, the hope was that he would be less likely to respond in kind. But he also reflected on the fact that none of these people would be like this intentionally. They were the victims of their own mistaken judgements.

Here we get another paradox: no one chooses to be unhappy, stressed, angry, miserable, and yet these are in fact all the product of our judgements, the one thing within our control.

Another Stoic strategy is to remind ourselves of our relative unimportance. The world does not revolve around us. Aurelius regularly reflected in his Meditations on the vastness of the universe and the infinity of time stretching into the past and future, in order to put his own short life into wider context.

Our lives are but moments when placed within this cosmic perspective. Given this, why should we expect the universe to deliver whatever it is that we might happen to want? On the contrary, it would be absurd to expect it to conform to our will.

As Epictetus put it, if you expect the universe to deliver what you want, you are going to be disappointed, but if you embrace whatever the universe gives, then life will be a whole lot smoother. Again, this is easier said than done, but more and more people are taking note of this Stoic advice and working hard to incorporate it into their daily lives.