Perennial Meditations Perennial Leader Project
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- Religion & Spirituality
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Welcome to The Perennial Meditations podcast with J.W. Bertolotti from the Perennial Leader Project. Perennial Meditations brings you short reflections on ancient wisdom for everyday life. Each reflection is based on ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions designed to help you live your highest good. To learn more, visit perennialleader.com
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Change is the Only Constant
The Dying Every Day series delivers guided meditations on the art of living. Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage (from an original Stoic text), and a reflection prompt to consider. These meditations are designed to help you (and me) reflect on what it means to live a good life.
Change is the Only Constant
“The river where you set your foot just now is gone—those waters giving way to this, now this.” (often translated as “No one steps in the same river twice….”)
— Heraclitus, Fragments
Selected Passage
In this week’s meditation, we explore the art of living (and dying) through a selected reading from Seneca.
Infinitely swift is the flight of time, as those see more clearly who are looking backwards. When we are intent on the present, we do not notice it; so gentle is the passage of time’s headlong flight.
Do you ask the reason for this?
All past time is in the same place; it presents the same aspect to us; it lies together. Everything slips into the same abyss. Besides, an event that is a brief compass cannot contain long intervals. The time we spend in living is but a point, nay, even less than a point. But this point of time, tiny as it is, nature has mocked by making it seem outwardly of longer duration; she has taken one portion thereof and made it infancy, another childhood, another youth, another the gradual slope, so to speak, from youth to old age, and old age itself is still another. How many steps for how short a climb!
+ Adapted from On the Shortness of Life
Reflection Exercise
Consider reflecting on how you make sense of change. In his Meditations (or notes to himself), Marcus Aurelius observed that constant change is not something to fear. Why should we look anxiously at the prospect of change and dissolution? Change is in accordance with nature: “and nothing harmful is in accordance with nature.” How would your life transform if you started to embrace (and even cherish) change?
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe -
The Art of Thinking, Perspectives, and Judgments
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Welcome to Perennial Meditations, a podcast (and newsletter) by the Perennial Leader Project - an organization dedicated to providing tools for the art of living. To learn more and subscribe to our newsletter, visit perennial.substack.com.
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Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
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This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe -
The Discipline of Desire, Satisfaction, and Changing Ourselves
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Welcome to Perennial Meditations, a podcast (and newsletter) by the Perennial Leader Project - an organization dedicated to providing tools for the art of living. To learn more and read the transcript from this episode, visit perennial.substack.com.
For full episodes of In Search of Wisdom, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast:
Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe -
The Art of Hardships, Freedom, and Failures
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Welcome to Perennial Meditations, a podcast and newsletter by the Perennial Leader Project - an organization dedicated to providing tools for the art of living. To learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter, visit perennial.substack.com.
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🖇️ Stay Connected:
· Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods
· Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods
· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods
· Substack: https://perennial.substack.com/
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🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast:
Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe -
The Art of Becoming Better, Friendship, and Waking Up
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Here is the latest Monday Muse with an audio meditation from the Dying Every Day series, a perennial reminder, insight, reflection, and a recommendation to consider. Be wise and be well this week!
For full episodes of In Search of Wisdom, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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🖇️ Stay Connected:
· Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods
· Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods
· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods
· Substack: https://perennial.substack.com/
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🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast:
Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe -
The Art of Being Mortal, Freedom, and Finding Happiness
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💀 Welcome to another episode of the Dying Every Day series, part of the Monday Muse email on Perennial Meditations. This series delivers Stoic meditations on the art of living. Each meditation provides a quote, a selected passage, and a daily exercise to consider contemplating.
🎧 For more tools, subscribe to The Wisdom School on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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🖇️ Stay Connected:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerennialPods
Instagram: https://instagram.com/PerennialPods
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerennialPods
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🦉 Additional Resources Related to the Podcast:
Explore the Perennial Meditations archive: https://perennial.substack.com/archive
Listen to more podcasts: https://www.perennialleader.com/podcasts
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perennial.substack.com/subscribe