38 How Do I Attract Stoic Positivity? | Philosophy and Literature - Female Empowerment - Bluestocking Society -Women's intellectual history

Published on 12 April 2026 at 08:41
 
Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Female Stoic Podcast episode #38 this episode is entitled How to Attract Positivity Into My Life.
And we will be referring to Jesus and Stoicism, The Parallel Sayings by Brittany Pollat.

2:07

She sent this in, kindly sent this book into the podcast.
So thank you, Brittany, for that.
It's been a fascinating read.
This is available wherever you obtain your books, so keep an eye out.
And what we are doing is referring specifically to this book all about the parallel sayings between the Bible and Stoicism itself.

2:36

Let's get started.
Firstly, let's look at how religion can be used in the attraction of positivity in our lives.
As we know, many of the literary masters I read were Christian, Emily Dickinson, Ellen Montgomery, Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Elizabeth Montague, many members of the Blue Stocking Group.

3:00

And of course, you can always check out my latest audiobooks to hear frequent references to this, available wherever you listen to audiobooks.
So let's look at the question of the day.
How can religion attract positivity into our lives?

3:19

And what are the parallels with Stoicism?
Attracting positivity through religion involves cultivating a mindset of gratitude, hope, and trust in a higher power.

3:37

Religion promotes inner peace, resilience, and benevolent actions towards others through prayer and meditation, which is a way to connect with the higher power.
And as a byproduct of that, we can experience lower cortisol levels and reduce stress by practising gratitude, which can transform negative experiences into opportunities for growth.

4:07

By cultivating trust in a higher power, which can provide that security and emotional stability we are looking for.
And of course, living in accordance with religious values such as forgiveness, kindness, and so on, which attracts positive outcomes and fosters a supportive community.

4:32

When we read books like the Bible, we are exposing ourselves to wisdom and comfort.
So the key here with religion is the focus on a higher power to guide us.
Now in this way, I argue it is different from Stoicism, as Stoicism teaches us we have the power within ourselves to attract the best outcomes.

4:56

But here I note both are open to interpretation and I myself practice a combination of the two.
I argue to believe there's only one answer when addressing suffering is naive in Jesus and Stoicism, Brittany Pollack notes.

5:19

While Stoicism is based in human rationality and Christianity is based on divine revelation, the fact that the 2 arrive at such similar conclusions surely says something very significant about the human experience.

5:43

Polat argues they are distillations of the same human nature developed by and for human societies to help people cope with the uncertainties of the world.
And she adds, if people made a disciplined effort to re educate themselves, they would experience an enhancement of their humanity, which I completely agree with.

6:13

There are many similar points made on both Christianity and Stoicism.
Stoicism in the Bible share a focus on self-discipline, inner peace, virtue and detachment from material goods.

6:31

Both encourage controlling passions, loving thy neighbor, accepting fate or divine Providence and maintaining virtue despite adversity.
However, stoicism relies on self-directed reason.

6:49

The logos and the Bible emphasizes redemption through a personal guard.
John says in the Bible chapter 25 verse 17.
I command these things to you that you may love one another.

7:10

Now, this is a direct command to active duty.
It's not suggestion.
It's establishing A fundamental rule for Christian life rather than merely suggesting it.

7:27

The parallel quote that Polat notes in Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is love humankind.
This is a broader, less prescriptive take, I argue.
One, we can come to daily with small, repetitive tasks.

7:44

One, we can grow in two.
But the message here is the same practice compassion, understanding, and kindness.
So let's look at the parallels between the two.
Both promote contentment.

8:02

They emphasise finding contentment regardless of external circumstances.
Stoicism's focus is on the mastering of emotions and the understanding that reactivity to externals will greatly inhibit our capacity to do that.

8:24

Logos is suggesting that the universe is governed by an active, rational force.
And actually the Gospel of John adopts this term, identifying Jesus as the Logos made flesh.
So there's a pointer of intellectual connection.

8:45

Both are emphasizing virtue as the highest good.
They're including justice, courage, and honesty, and the Golden Rule taught by Jesus matches the Stoic concept of acting in accordance with human brotherhood and natural law.

9:05

So Stoics advocate accepting fate and the workings of the universe, and Christianity parallels this through a submission to God's will, trusting in his Providence rather than one's own desires.

9:23

So indeed, they are both accepting there is a larger force at play, one we should submit to, we should acknowledge, respect.
And in fact, I feel this is very freeing because the guidance, the structure is already there.

9:45

We are not called upon to reinvent the wheel.
What we are called upon to do is learn the structure, accept, respect the structure, the organization and use this as a guide to promote not just a way of being, but in fact to promote our inner peace.

10:14

Both Stoicism and the Bible advise against excessive anxiety about the future and they encourage followers to live rightly in the present moment.
Whilst Christianity, as we know, is centred on a personal, loving God, Stoicism views Logos as an impersonal, rational force in nature.

10:41

Stoicism teaches us that humans can achieve tranquility through their own reason and willpower, and Christianity teaches us that salvation and true change come through grace and divine help, not human effort alone.

10:59

I found this to be helpful in times of trial.
The idea that there is a greater force, there is a stronger power that if we are willing to accept it, can guide us.
Christianity centres on hope for the afterlife, resurrection and eternal life, whereas traditional Stoicism focuses on duty in this life with little to no focus on a personal afterlife.

11:31

So in that way they differ.
And Stoicism often focuses on the management of our emotion so that it is not overpowering or managing us, while the Bible often validates emotion and seeks to signify and symbolise the significance of that.

11:58

And what I teach in the Female Stoic podcast, as you know, is something in between the two.
Acknowledging that emotion is all powerful, but it is also chaotic.

12:18

And if we hold it in its rightful place, celebrate it, but understand that it sits outside of our inner citadel, we can function successfully without succumbing to it, without becoming reactive.

12:41

Brittany Pollat argues that what matters is not the belief itself, but the inner transformation that results from the belief.
And I agree with her here.
The Female Stoic podcast is all about that in a transformation, using here the examples of female literary masters to guide us teachers and inspire us in the entertainment of our highest selves.

13:11

We are seeking to reject old habits and embrace the emergence of the best we can be.
And today, in this episode, we are seeking to attract positivity.
So how do we do this at Stoics?

13:27

We attract goodbye, becoming a person of high value.
We are seeking to resonate, to vibrate, to attract the best possible version of ourselves we can be.

13:43

We embrace our true self and we live according to our principles.
Understanding that, we focus on what we can control, our thoughts and actions, and we accept what we cannot, which then reduces our anxiety and creates stability.

14:05

We seek to act with courage and integrity rather than chasing popularity, and we maintain or seek to maintain a positive, calm internal state which allows us to act with purpose.

14:23

And there is a crossover here with Christianity, Polat notes.
While Jesus tells his followers to be so discreet in their giving that the left hand does not even know what the right hand is doing, Marcus Aurelius says generosity is simply the flowering of the human spirit and nothing to get puffed up with pride about.

14:50

As we know, when we give, we receive in a myriad of ways.
To attract positivity is, of course, to emit positivity.
I'm always surprised at the number of smiles I get when I'm walking out and about.

15:06

What are they smiling at?
I ask myself.
And then I realise it's because I am smiling too.
Generosity must become our default in order to receive loving kindness in return.
Stoicism teaches us trying to control external events, trying to control the attitudes or the opinions or the actions of others, is in fact futile and damaging.

15:36

Instead, we are seeking simply to protect our inner citadel and remain at peace regardless.
Seek and ye shall find, says Matthew Chapter 7 verse 71.

15:53

Interpretation of this might be are you seeking positivity?
Then you are attracting positivity.
Essentially, it is a call to action not to remain passive, but to actively promote what you are looking for.

16:16

And that's the message here today.
To attract positivity, we have to send out positivity.
Let's go to the journal task for today.
Today's journal task is entitled How to Attract Positivity and we are going to write down three points to work on in the following weeks.

16:43

Point #1 aim to be slightly better than yesterday.
We are not aiming to be perfect, we are aiming to improve.
The focus here, in order to align and protect our inner peace, aligned with our higher self, is to try and be better every day.

17:09

The idea of perfectionism, which I mentioned in a previous episode of the Female Stoic podcast, is in fact, it's fruitless.
It's something we can never attain and it is in fact an external.

17:26

We are just aiming to improve.
That's point number one.
Point #2 live with integrity.
We must align our words with our actions.
If we are willing to say we will do something, we must then align our actions with the doing of that thing.

17:55

Point #3 Know our boundaries and stand firm in our principles.
In order to maintain inner peace, we must set boundaries.
Why?
Because externals are attacking the walls of our inner citadel constantly.

18:18

If we stand firm with what we are willing to accept and what we are not, we can then protect our inner citadel.
We can then protect our virtue because we are stating I am unwilling to compromise my virtue for anything.

18:42

We're not chasing good fortune here.
We're not chasing popularity.
We are building a virtuous life regardless of other people's opinions and regardless of whether it attracts favourable opportunities.

19:01

And of course by default it will.
And this is what today's episode is about.
You become what you are seeking to attract.
As a tree has many branches I suggest, and the brain has many neural pathways, so the education of ourselves must be a multi pronged approach.

19:32

For me both Christianity and Stoicism have equal relevance.
But the question is what is right?
What is the right thing to do?
What is the right way to be?

19:49

The answer is of course objective, but one thing is for certain, when we consider the biblical phrase seeking, ye shall find we come to understand it was never more relevant than now in the 21st century.

20:08

Consider your algorithm which is designed to feed you more of what you are looking for.
Be mindful, understand what you're looking for before you go looking for it.
Be aware of your purpose every day.

20:26

I suggest when you choose a book to read, you ask yourself, what am I looking for?
Am I looking for lyricism or am I looking for indulgence?
Am I looking for craft or am I looking for something that is mass produced?

20:42

The popular phrase at the moment is a high slop, high art versus low art.
That's what we're talking about.
And of course, combinations of the two are possible.
Creativity is a nuance thing.

20:59

But it is up to us to be aware of the difference between high art and low art.
Messages that encourage an attainment of the higher self versus messages seeking to indulge us and encourage us to vibrate at a lower frequency.

21:19

And this goes for all media, social media, television, films.
What are you choosing?
What are you trying to attract?
If you are not making active, positive choices to support and encourage the attainment of your higher self, you will not then attract those versions of high art that may support your endeavour.

21:56

There are so many messages in the 21st century dressed up as something.
They're not a wolf in sheep's clothing is the saying.
And I think that is so true for today, for example, with literature.

22:12

There is much literature out there that seeks only to shock or feed lust.
Each version of literature, each book, each social media post, they're all relevant in their own space and yet they are vibrating at different levels.

22:35

Each exists in a different sphere and it is for us to educate ourselves and be aware of that in order for us to attract what supports our inner peace, we must seek what supports our inner peace.

22:54

So the message here is be aware, be mindful, be present, and stoically protect your inner peace by keeping the walls of your inner citadel very high.
By seeking the attainment and so protection of our higher Self, we understand we are also inspiring that of those around us.

23:22

Brittany Pollack notes, just as Jesus astonished the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors and sinners, Marcus Aurelius astonished the Roman emperors by not executing or punishing those who rebelled against him.

23:41

And I would take this one step further by saying loving kindness is an energy we emit, a life's purpose presented in a myriad of ways, teaching, guiding, listening, sharing, just being present, all of these things.

23:58

Are you aligning with your higher self and attracting the same energy by simply being present without judgement?
And that's the key.
You are expressing A positivity and so attracting the same in return.

24:18

We are not talking huge gestures here in order to attract positivity, just a daily endeavour to honour our higher self.
Be present for those around you without judgement.
Seek to educate yourself in both religion and Stoic philosophy and understand that there is a crossover and a link between the two and as many examples as we can find.

24:49

To support the protection of our inner peace and keep our inner citadel high, we should take and we should continue educating ourselves in order to do that.

25:05

It's a lifetime endeavour.
Thank you for listening.
Bye.

 

38 How Do I Attract Stoic Positivity? | Philosophy and Literature - Female Empowerment - Bluestocking Society -Women's intellectual history

 

Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Female Stoic Podcast episode #38 this episode is entitled How to Attract Positivity Into My Life. And we will be referring to Jesus and Stoicism, The Parallel Sayings by Brittany Pollat. 2:07 She sent this in, kindly sent this book into the podcast. So thank you, Brittany, for that. It's been a fascinating read. This is available wherever you obtain your books, so keep an eye out. And what we are doing is referring specifically to this book all about the parallel sayings between the Bible and Stoicism itself. 2:36 Let's get started. Firstly, let's look at how religion can be used in the attraction of positivity in our lives. As we know, many of the literary masters I read were Christian, Emily Dickinson, Ellen Montgomery, Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Elizabeth Montague, many members of the Blue Stocking Group. 3:00 And of course, you can always check out my latest audiobooks to hear frequent references to this, available wherever you listen to audiobooks. So let's look at the question of the day. How can religion attract positivity into our lives? 3:19 And what are the parallels with Stoicism? Attracting positivity through religion involves cultivating a mindset of gratitude, hope, and trust in a higher power. 3:37 Religion promotes inner peace, resilience, and benevolent actions towards others through prayer and meditation, which is a way to connect with the higher power. And as a byproduct of that, we can experience lower cortisol levels and reduce stress by practising gratitude, which can transform negative experiences into opportunities for growth. 4:07 By cultivating trust in a higher power, which can provide that security and emotional stability we are looking for. And of course, living in accordance with religious values such as forgiveness, kindness, and so on, which attracts positive outcomes and fosters a supportive community. 4:32 When we read books like the Bible, we are exposing ourselves to wisdom and comfort. So the key here with religion is the focus on a higher power to guide us. Now in this way, I argue it is different from Stoicism, as Stoicism teaches us we have the power within ourselves to attract the best outcomes. 4:56 But here I note both are open to interpretation and I myself practice a combination of the two. I argue to believe there's only one answer when addressing suffering is naive in Jesus and Stoicism, Brittany Pollack notes. 5:19 While Stoicism is based in human rationality and Christianity is based on divine revelation, the fact that the 2 arrive at such similar conclusions surely says something very significant about the human experience. 5:43 Polat argues they are distillations of the same human nature developed by and for human societies to help people cope with the uncertainties of the world. And she adds, if people made a disciplined effort to re educate themselves, they would experience an enhancement of their humanity, which I completely agree with. 6:13 There are many similar points made on both Christianity and Stoicism. Stoicism in the Bible share a focus on self-discipline, inner peace, virtue and detachment from material goods. 6:31 Both encourage controlling passions, loving thy neighbor, accepting fate or divine Providence and maintaining virtue despite adversity. However, stoicism relies on self-directed reason. 6:49 The logos and the Bible emphasizes redemption through a personal guard. John says in the Bible chapter 25 verse 17. I command these things to you that you may love one another. 7:10 Now, this is a direct command to active duty. It's not suggestion. It's establishing A fundamental rule for Christian life rather than merely suggesting it. 7:27 The parallel quote that Polat notes in Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is love humankind. This is a broader, less prescriptive take, I argue. One, we can come to daily with small, repetitive tasks. 7:44 One, we can grow in two. But the message here is the same practice compassion, understanding, and kindness. So let's look at the parallels between the two. Both promote contentment. 8:02 They emphasise finding contentment regardless of external circumstances. Stoicism's focus is on the mastering of emotions and the understanding that reactivity to externals will greatly inhibit our capacity to do that. 8:24 Logos is suggesting that the universe is governed by an active, rational force. And actually the Gospel of John adopts this term, identifying Jesus as the Logos made flesh. So there's a pointer of intellectual connection. 8:45 Both are emphasizing virtue as the highest good. They're including justice, courage, and honesty, and the Golden Rule taught by Jesus matches the Stoic concept of acting in accordance with human brotherhood and natural law. 9:05 So Stoics advocate accepting fate and the workings of the universe, and Christianity parallels this through a submission to God's will, trusting in his Providence rather than one's own desires. 9:23 So indeed, they are both accepting there is a larger force at play, one we should submit to, we should acknowledge, respect. And in fact, I feel this is very freeing because the guidance, the structure is already there. 9:45 We are not called upon to reinvent the wheel. What we are called upon to do is learn the structure, accept, respect the structure, the organization and use this as a guide to promote not just a way of being, but in fact to promote our inner peace. 10:14 Both Stoicism and the Bible advise against excessive anxiety about the future and they encourage followers to live rightly in the present moment. Whilst Christianity, as we know, is centred on a personal, loving God, Stoicism views Logos as an impersonal, rational force in nature. 10:41 Stoicism teaches us that humans can achieve tranquility through their own reason and willpower, and Christianity teaches us that salvation and true change come through grace and divine help, not human effort alone. 10:59 I found this to be helpful in times of trial. The idea that there is a greater force, there is a stronger power that if we are willing to accept it, can guide us. Christianity centres on hope for the afterlife, resurrection and eternal life, whereas traditional Stoicism focuses on duty in this life with little to no focus on a personal afterlife. 11:31 So in that way they differ. And Stoicism often focuses on the management of our emotion so that it is not overpowering or managing us, while the Bible often validates emotion and seeks to signify and symbolise the significance of that. 11:58 And what I teach in the Female Stoic podcast, as you know, is something in between the two. Acknowledging that emotion is all powerful, but it is also chaotic. 12:18 And if we hold it in its rightful place, celebrate it, but understand that it sits outside of our inner citadel, we can function successfully without succumbing to it, without becoming reactive. 12:41 Brittany Pollat argues that what matters is not the belief itself, but the inner transformation that results from the belief. And I agree with her here. The Female Stoic podcast is all about that in a transformation, using here the examples of female literary masters to guide us teachers and inspire us in the entertainment of our highest selves. 13:11 We are seeking to reject old habits and embrace the emergence of the best we can be. And today, in this episode, we are seeking to attract positivity. So how do we do this at Stoics? 13:27 We attract goodbye, becoming a person of high value. We are seeking to resonate, to vibrate, to attract the best possible version of ourselves we can be. 13:43 We embrace our true self and we live according to our principles. Understanding that, we focus on what we can control, our thoughts and actions, and we accept what we cannot, which then reduces our anxiety and creates stability. 14:05 We seek to act with courage and integrity rather than chasing popularity, and we maintain or seek to maintain a positive, calm internal state which allows us to act with purpose. 14:23 And there is a crossover here with Christianity, Polat notes. While Jesus tells his followers to be so discreet in their giving that the left hand does not even know what the right hand is doing, Marcus Aurelius says generosity is simply the flowering of the human spirit and nothing to get puffed up with pride about. 14:50 As we know, when we give, we receive in a myriad of ways. To attract positivity is, of course, to emit positivity. I'm always surprised at the number of smiles I get when I'm walking out and about. 15:06 What are they smiling at? I ask myself. And then I realise it's because I am smiling too. Generosity must become our default in order to receive loving kindness in return. Stoicism teaches us trying to control external events, trying to control the attitudes or the opinions or the actions of others, is in fact futile and damaging. 15:36 Instead, we are seeking simply to protect our inner citadel and remain at peace regardless. Seek and ye shall find, says Matthew Chapter 7 verse 71. 15:53 Interpretation of this might be are you seeking positivity? Then you are attracting positivity. Essentially, it is a call to action not to remain passive, but to actively promote what you are looking for. 16:16 And that's the message here today. To attract positivity, we have to send out positivity. Let's go to the journal task for today. Today's journal task is entitled How to Attract Positivity and we are going to write down three points to work on in the following weeks. 16:43 Point #1 aim to be slightly better than yesterday. We are not aiming to be perfect, we are aiming to improve. The focus here, in order to align and protect our inner peace, aligned with our higher self, is to try and be better every day. 17:09 The idea of perfectionism, which I mentioned in a previous episode of the Female Stoic podcast, is in fact, it's fruitless. It's something we can never attain and it is in fact an external. 17:26 We are just aiming to improve. That's point number one. Point #2 live with integrity. We must align our words with our actions. If we are willing to say we will do something, we must then align our actions with the doing of that thing. 17:55 Point #3 Know our boundaries and stand firm in our principles. In order to maintain inner peace, we must set boundaries. Why? Because externals are attacking the walls of our inner citadel constantly. 18:18 If we stand firm with what we are willing to accept and what we are not, we can then protect our inner citadel. We can then protect our virtue because we are stating I am unwilling to compromise my virtue for anything. 18:42 We're not chasing good fortune here. We're not chasing popularity. We are building a virtuous life regardless of other people's opinions and regardless of whether it attracts favourable opportunities. 19:01 And of course by default it will. And this is what today's episode is about. You become what you are seeking to attract. As a tree has many branches I suggest, and the brain has many neural pathways, so the education of ourselves must be a multi pronged approach. 19:32 For me both Christianity and Stoicism have equal relevance. But the question is what is right? What is the right thing to do? What is the right way to be? 19:49 The answer is of course objective, but one thing is for certain, when we consider the biblical phrase seeking, ye shall find we come to understand it was never more relevant than now in the 21st century. 20:08 Consider your algorithm which is designed to feed you more of what you are looking for. Be mindful, understand what you're looking for before you go looking for it. Be aware of your purpose every day. 20:26 I suggest when you choose a book to read, you ask yourself, what am I looking for? Am I looking for lyricism or am I looking for indulgence? Am I looking for craft or am I looking for something that is mass produced? 20:42 The popular phrase at the moment is a high slop, high art versus low art. That's what we're talking about. And of course, combinations of the two are possible. Creativity is a nuance thing. 20:59 But it is up to us to be aware of the difference between high art and low art. Messages that encourage an attainment of the higher self versus messages seeking to indulge us and encourage us to vibrate at a lower frequency. 21:19 And this goes for all media, social media, television, films. What are you choosing? What are you trying to attract? If you are not making active, positive choices to support and encourage the attainment of your higher self, you will not then attract those versions of high art that may support your endeavour. 21:56 There are so many messages in the 21st century dressed up as something. They're not a wolf in sheep's clothing is the saying. And I think that is so true for today, for example, with literature. 22:12 There is much literature out there that seeks only to shock or feed lust. Each version of literature, each book, each social media post, they're all relevant in their own space and yet they are vibrating at different levels. 22:35 Each exists in a different sphere and it is for us to educate ourselves and be aware of that in order for us to attract what supports our inner peace, we must seek what supports our inner peace. 22:54 So the message here is be aware, be mindful, be present, and stoically protect your inner peace by keeping the walls of your inner citadel very high. By seeking the attainment and so protection of our higher Self, we understand we are also inspiring that of those around us. 23:22 Brittany Pollack notes, just as Jesus astonished the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors and sinners, Marcus Aurelius astonished the Roman emperors by not executing or punishing those who rebelled against him. 23:41 And I would take this one step further by saying loving kindness is an energy we emit, a life's purpose presented in a myriad of ways, teaching, guiding, listening, sharing, just being present, all of these things. 23:58 Are you aligning with your higher self and attracting the same energy by simply being present without judgement? And that's the key. You are expressing A positivity and so attracting the same in return. 24:18 We are not talking huge gestures here in order to attract positivity, just a daily endeavour to honour our higher self. Be present for those around you without judgement. Seek to educate yourself in both religion and Stoic philosophy and understand that there is a crossover and a link between the two and as many examples as we can find. 24:49 To support the protection of our inner peace and keep our inner citadel high, we should take and we should continue educating ourselves in order to do that. 25:05 It's a lifetime endeavour. Thank you for listening. Bye.

 

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