Seneca,

“I shall give you also a lesson: Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with coarse and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: “Is this the condition that I feared?” It is precisely in times of immunity from care that the soul should toughen itself beforehand for occasions of greater stress, and it is while Fortune is kind that it should fortify itself against her violence.”

Sadly, such practices are not nearly as common amongst Stoics as you would think.  Maybe more of us have stolen over to the Garden while no one was listening.  Instead, they manipulate and twist the idea of ‘preferred indifferents’ to cover and hide all manner of vices.

I don’t have anything to add, or disagree with.  Your letter is well taken.
Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.