Katie Stidolph aka The Savvy Stoic

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Katie Stidolph aka The Savvy Stoic

🌿 Your compass to Stoic wisdom, guiding modern minds through life's chaos, towards living well. 🧭🍃 But she didn't stop there. Yet, Katie is more than a speaker.
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A creative powerhouse hailing from the vibrant North East of England, Katie Stidolph, aka The Savvy Stoic, is your guide through Stoicism's ancient yet enduringly relevant philosophy. Fuelled by a potent blend of business acumen, a deep-seated passion for classics, and a philosophical mind, Katie emerged from Newcastle University armed with a First-Class Honours degree. Her captivating talks have

brought Stoicism to life for countless individuals, showcasing how this time-tested philosophy can help us leap over life's hurdles and become the best versions of ourselves. She's a practitioner. Under the banner of The Savvy Stoic, she doesn't just preach these principles - she lives them. With authenticity and genuine passion, she invites others to join her in this journey of growth, understanding, and peaceful existence. With The Savvy Stoic, you're not just exploring a philosophy but discovering a lifestyle. One that cultivates resilience celebrates wisdom, and embraces the tranquillity we often forget in our bustling lives. Ready to embark on this journey with Katie, The Savvy Stoic? Dive into a world where ancient wisdom meets modern living, and learn how to live well amidst the beautiful chaos of life.

26/11/2025

🌿 Mindful Monday: What Philosophy Is Really For 🌿

This week’s reflection is all about the kind of philosophy you can actually use — not the academic version stored in dusty books, but the practical wisdom that helps you steady yourself, think clearly, and live with more intention in a chaotic world.

Philosophy isn’t decoration. It’s a compass. 🧭

And in a life filled with noise, comparison, and overwhelm, that compass matters more than ever.

Your practice for the week 👇

Choose one guiding line from the piece — like “Focus on what’s in my control” or “Respond with kindness first” — and carry it with you through the week. Notice how it shapes your choices.

👉 Read the full reflection over at Wise Words: https://thesavvystoic.substack.com/p/what-philosophy-is-really-for-and

24/11/2025

🌿 Mindful Monday: Walking the Path Ahead 🌿

This week feels like the start of something new — a shift, a change, a quiet turning of the page. And with change comes that mix of fear and excitement we all know so well.

There are so many paths we can take in life — forward, sideways, left, right — and half the time we’re just trying to choose the one that feels right enough. The truth is, most of the meaningful steps we take aren’t dramatic leaps. They’re small, steady choices that slowly guide us into the life we’re meant to live.

And sometimes? We take a step back. We pause, we hesitate, we circle around. That isn’t failure — it’s still part of the path. Often those “backwards” steps are what help us move forward more wisely.

One of my favourite lines comes from Zeno, as quoted by Diogenes Laërtius: 👇

“Well-being is realised by small steps, but is truly no small thing.”

That’s the energy I’m carrying into this week.

Your practice for the week 👇

Notice one small step you can take toward the life you want — not the whole journey, not the entire plan, just the next tiny move forward. And if today feels more like a step back, meet it with kindness. That still counts. 💛

20/11/2025

🍂 Thankful Thursday: A Little Stoic Treasure 🍂

This beautiful book arrived as a gift from the author, and I’m honestly a bit in love with it already. The Stoic Fable Book is one of those editions that makes you want to slow down and actually savour the pages – the design, the artwork, the little details.

I’ve only had a quick flick through so far, but I’m setting some proper time aside soon to really sit with it, pen in hand and cuppa nearby. There’s something so special about knowing someone took the time to send a book your way, trusting you’ll find a bit of wisdom and comfort inside it.

Today I’m feeling thankful for: 👇

📖 Thoughtful gifts
🦉 Beautifully made books
🕯️ The quiet moments we get to read and reflect

A massive thanks to Phil for this wonderful gift. If you haven’t checked out his work yet, go and do just that. 🙌

19/11/2025

🪶 Wisdom Wednesday: Feeding the Crows 🪶

Every week, I walk the same loop through the graveyard with Nia and Lily, pockets full of scraps for “my” crows. 🐦‍⬛

What started as tossing a few treats to one curious bird has quietly turned into something else entirely. Now, when I turn into the path, a whole murder of crows lifts from the trees and gravestones and gathers around me. Last week I counted more than twenty. It sounds like the beginning of a horror film, but honestly, it feels like being recognised.

The Stoics talked about sympatheia — the idea that everything in the universe is connected in one living, breathing whole. We’re not separate from nature; we’re threaded through it.

Walking through the graves with the dogs at my heels and the crows watching from the stones, it’s hard not to feel that. Beneath my feet are lives that have already run their course. Above me are creatures who’ve started to remember who I am. I’m somewhere in the middle: very temporary, very alive.

The crows don’t know my plans or worries. They don’t care what I’ve ticked off my to-do list. They only know that, week after week, this particular human shows up with food and does them no harm. That is Stoicism in practice more than theory: not big declarations, just consistent action that slowly shapes a relationship and a character.

I’ve made it a small goal for 2026 to see if one will take food from my hand. It’s a tiny thing, almost silly on paper, but it reminds me that trust is built exactly like that — crumb by crumb, visit by visit, day by day. With animals, with people, and with ourselves.

The graveyard, the birds, the dogs, and this one wandering human: all part of the same web. The walk is a weekly memento mori, yes — a reminder that I’ll one day be under the earth rather than walking on top of it. But it’s also a reminder of sympatheia: that while I’m here, I’m woven into something larger, and my job is to move through it with a bit of kindness, a bit of steadiness, knowing that even the crows are paying attention to who I’m becoming. 🖤

18/11/2025

🧠 Temperance Tuesday: Four Habits of a Steady Mind 🧠

“Our rational nature moves freely forward in its impressions when it:
1.) accepts nothing false or uncertain;
2.) directs its impulses only to acts for the common good;
3.) limits its desires and aversions only to what’s in its own power;
4.) embraces everything nature assigns it.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.7

Today’s page from The Daily Stoic is a perfect temperance reminder. In a world that pushes us to rush, react, consume, and compare, Marcus quietly offers a different way to move through the day.

Temperance here isn’t about denying yourself everything — it’s about guiding your mind so it doesn’t get dragged everywhere at once: 👇

1️⃣ Accept nothing false or uncertain: pause before you spiral with assumptions or headlines.
2️⃣ Act for the common good: let your impulses serve something bigger than your mood in the moment.
3️⃣ Limit desires to what’s in your power: want what you can actually influence, not what you can’t control.
4️⃣ Embrace what nature assigns: meet what arrives with as much grace as you can muster, even if you wouldn’t have chosen it.

Your practice for the week 👇

Pick just one of these habits and keep it in your pocket today. Maybe you double-check a story before believing it, or you choose the kinder response instead of the quicker one. Small, steady acts of temperance like this are how a Stoic mind is quietly built.

17/11/2025

🌿 Mindful Monday: The Year I Start Choosing Myself 🌿

This week’s reflection is all about the quiet, uncomfortable work of choosing yourself — not in a dramatic, burn-everything-down way, but in the small, steady decisions that say: my growth matters too.

If you’ve spent years being the dependable one, the “good girl”, the person who always says yes, putting yourself first can feel selfish, even when you know it isn’t. This piece is a gentle reminder that choosing yourself is actually an act of care — for you and for the people you love.

Your practice for the week 👇

Notice one moment where you’d usually automatically say yes, and pause. Check in with what you actually need — and let that matter, even a little.

Read the full reflection over at Wise Words:👇

👉 https://thesavvystoic.substack.com/p/the-year-i-start-choosing-myself

14/11/2025

🛡️ Fortitude Friday: You Choose the Outcome 🛡️

“He was sent to prison. But the observation ‘he has suffered evil,’ is an addition coming from you.” — Epictetus, Discourses

This page from The Daily Stoic really stood out to me today. It’s such a powerful reminder that while we can’t always choose what happens to us, we can choose how we interpret it.

An event itself is neutral — it’s our thoughts that give it shape. Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it’s the first step toward strength. When we stop labelling everything as “good” or “bad,” we leave room to learn from it, to adapt, and to grow.

Fortitude isn’t about pretending everything’s fine. It’s about saying, “This is what’s in front of me — and I’ll make something of it.”

13/11/2025

🐾 Thankful Thursday: Healing in Motion 🐾

This little face has been through a lot lately. Lily recently had her spay operation, along with a lump removal that’s been sent off for analysis. She’s healing really well — already trotting around as if nothing happened.

It always amazes me how dogs do that. They rest when they need to, then get up and carry on — no overthinking, no self-pity, just quiet resilience. There’s something so Stoic about it, really.

Today I’m thankful for her strength, her calm nature, and the gentle reminder she gives me that healing (in any form) takes time, patience, and trust.

Here’s to the small recoveries, the soft moments, and the ones who make every day a little brighter. 💛

12/11/2025

🌿 Wisdom Wednesday: Rewriting Your Story 🌿

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” — Seneca

Sometimes life turns the page before you’re ready. One day everything feels familiar, and the next, the plot shifts — without your permission. But even then, you still hold the pen.

This week’s Wise Words is about agency, change, and the quiet hope that comes from trusting yourself to begin again. You don’t have to be who you were yesterday. You can start writing something new today.

Read the full reflection here 👇
https://thesavvystoic.substack.com/p/rewriting-your-story-why-you-dont

11/11/2025

⚖️ Temperance Tuesday: The Power of Presence 🌿

“To be everywhere is to be nowhere.” — Seneca

In a world that celebrates multitasking, Seneca reminds us that spreading ourselves too thin only leaves us scattered.

Temperance isn’t just about restraint — it’s about focus. Choosing one thing, one task, one moment, and giving it your full attention. That’s where peace hides, quietly waiting for you to notice it.

Today’s reminder: you don’t have to be everywhere to make progress. Sometimes the most Stoic thing you can do is slow down, breathe, and be fully here.

10/11/2025

🌿 Mindful Monday: The Art of Slowing Down 🌿

Today’s a special one — a day off from the day job, and this old girl turns 11. Her sister Lily’s not far behind, turning 10 tomorrow, so it’s a double celebration this week. ❤️

I’ve got a slow day planned: a gentle morning working on a few bits, a walk with the dogs, and then a full day of rest: a hot bath with a glass of Nosecco, steak pie with chunky chips, and a quiet evening watching something comforting. 🥰

Sometimes we forget that slowing down is productive. It gives us space to breathe, reflect, and actually enjoy what we work so hard for.

Nia has this peaceful way of reminding me of that — she doesn’t rush, doesn’t worry, just takes the day as it comes. There’s something beautifully Stoic in that kind of presence.

So here’s to starting the week slowly, choosing calm over chaos, and remembering that rest isn’t wasted time. Oh, and a very happy birthday to my two girls. 🌸🐾

07/11/2025

💪 Fortitude Friday: Respond, Don’t React 💪

“We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” — Epictetus

Life won’t always play out the way you’d hoped — but strength begins the moment you decide to respond with calm instead of chaos.

You can’t always control the storm, but you can choose your stance within it.
That’s where real fortitude lives. 🌿

Your reflection for the weekend 👇

💪 Respond, don’t react.
🧘‍♀️ Breathe before you move.
🌤️ Let composure become your quiet kind of power.

Address

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Website

http://www.thesavvystoic.com/, https://thesavvystoic.substack.com/

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