How Seneca Changed My Life As A Writer: 7 Stoic Quips Every Modern Writer Should Embody

#5 almost sums it all up

Rick Martinez
4 min readJan 30, 2023
Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard on Unsplash

If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable

What this means to you as a writer is that you need to have a clear sense of purpose and direction to succeed. You can’t just drift aimlessly, hoping that you make it somewhere eventually. To reach your writing goals, you must be deliberate about every step you take and understand where it is leading.

Seneca’s quote helped me stay focused on becoming a better writer. Every day, I would remind myself that no matter how challenging the writing process was, it was all part of the journey.

Knowing that my hard work and dedication would pay off in the end kept me motivated to keep going.

A great captain sails on, even with his canvas in tatters; even if he has scrapped the ship’s equipment, he keeps the remnants of his vessel on course

This means to me as a writer that you should never give up, no matter how difficult it may be. Even if the odds are stacked against you, keep writing and pushing forward until you reach your goal.

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Rick Martinez

My journey began on food stamps • I help CEOs & entrepreneurs write & publish books that give them authority & legacy • Former CEO turned ghostwriter