The Daily Stoic

We are the creators of our anxiety. Which means we can also be the ones to do something about it. In Meditations , Marcus Aurelius put it like this: “Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions—not outside.” To serve as a reminder of this, we have created the Daily Stoic Anxiety Medallion . Grab your own at the Daily Stoic Store! ✉️ Want Sto...

As the Head Coach of Texas A&M Men’s Basketball team, Coach Buzz Williams is dedicated to setting his players up for success not only on the court, but with values that they will carry for the rest of their lives.  During the off-season, Coach Buzz was able to come down to the Daily Stoic studio and share with Ryan what he’s learned about not just being a great coach, but also a great per...

It’s because life is unpredictable, it’s because nothing is certain that we must find joy and happiness where we can. 🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets for London, Rotterdam, Dublin, Vancouver, and Toronto at ryanholiday.net/tour ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail 🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, me...

There’s a reason the Stoics held up courage as a key virtue. Because they believed that we were obligated to participate in public life and that this meant putting ourselves out there. Whatever it is that we want to do in life demands this courage. We can’t let our fears win. 🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets for London, Rotterdam, Dublin, Vancouver, and Toronto at ryanholiday.net/tour...

We’ve already lost many of our favorite guests and influences. Today, we must add another to that list, Jake Seliger. Jake was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year at age 39, and in the midst of that fight he gave a moving interview on the Daily Stoic podcast, despite having had his tongue removed. Please consider donating to Jake’s GoFundMe , his wife Bess announced that all future donations...

Back in April, Ryan went to the United States Naval Academy and spoke to over 1,000 Sophomore Cadets about Stoicism, the virtue of Justice, and the legacy of USNA alum and former President, Jimmy Carter. This was part of the Stutt Ethics Lecture Series at the Naval Academy, made possible by a gift from William C. Stutt and his wife Carolyn. 🎙️ Listen to the Q&A portion | Apple Podcasts , Spoti...

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are coming to a close and it’s been incredible watching the world’s top athletes compete for gold. Today, Ryan talks with Greg Harden, who has worked with Tom Brady and 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, about how he helped them stay mentally focused. Kate Courtney, who competed in the Tokyo Olympics, talks about seeing moments of failure as opport...

You don’t call yourself a Stoic. You must act like a Stoic. 💡 We set up Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life to give you the absolute best of Stoicism, in just 14 days Get Stoicism 101: Ancient Philosophy For Your Actual Life & all other Daily Stoic courses for FREE when you join Daily Stoic Life | dailystoic.com/life 📓 Grab your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily...

Would you rather be poor today or wealthy in Rome two thousand years ago? You have access and knowledge that Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and the most brilliant doctors of antiquity would have genuinely seen as magic. We are incredibly lucky. Ask DS: Has Ryan always had this perspective or did he have a day of enlightenment in terms of defining himself as a Stoic? Why did Ryan decide to focus on Stoic...

Behind every great man and woman of history, there's usually a library or a bookstore that has been formative in their life. Not only have bookstores shaped influential leaders, but also the ideas and movements that have altered society. Stoicism originated in a bookstore, Benjamin Franklin’s bookstore influenced the American Revolution, and countless bookstores have been the backbones of activist...

A leader stands up, steps up…or in other cases, walks away. 🎙️ Listen to Ann Wroe On The Real Story Of Pontius Pilate, And His Connection To Stoicism on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, & Wondery 📚 Grab a copy of Pontius Pilate by Ann Wroe | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/ 💡 We designed The Daily Stoic Leadership Challenge: Ancient Wisdom For Modern Leaders to mirror the kind of education that pro...

Whenever the Olympics come around, we tend to place a big emphasis on winning and individual glory. But as the Stoics would remind us, it’s not winning that counts. 🎙️ Listen to Olympic Kickoff | Gold Medalist Dominique Dawes, Michael Phelps' Coach Bob Bowman, and Basketball Icon George Raveling on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, & Wondery 🔓 Unlock early access to Daily Stoic episodes by signing up...

We’re all marked souls, living on borrowed time. Let’s not waste what time we have left. Memento Mori. 🪙 Designed with the intention of carrying them in your pocket, our Memento Mori Medallion is a literal and inescapable reminder that “you could leave life right now.” Check it out at https://store.dailystoic.com/ 📚 Grab a copy of Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Sue...

Having the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. Going beyond the call. This is the story of the Battle of Thermopylae. 📕 Grab a signed copy of Courage is Calling at https://store.dailystoic.com/ ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail 🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these less...

Journaling allows us to release our thoughts and feelings, but shadow work journaling takes it to a much deeper level. Shadow work is based on Carl Jung's idea that we all have a “shadow self” which holds our repressed thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This side of us is hidden in our subconscious, but impacts how we show up in all areas of life.  Keila Shaheen, author of the viral sensati...

What we see in Meditations is not the finished product of a philosopher but the process of philosophy—we are watching Marcus philosophize to himself. It’s like we get to eavesdrop on one of the world’s greatest singers giving the most earnest performance of their lifetime, totally to themselves. 🎙️ Listen to The Responsibility of Translating Marcus Aurelius | David Hernández de la Fuente | Apple P...

You could build castles out of the bricks they threw at Cato. But Cato didn’t need to build castles with those bricks because he had something better - an inner citadel. Ask DS: Looking at Cato’s life, does he stick to his plan of justice too much sometimes? If Ryan could ask Marcus Aurelius one question, what would it be? What are Ryan's tips or tricks to know if you’re hitting the golden mean? W...

Patrick Dempsey and Ryan’s conversation continues in today’s episode, talking about the ethical decisions made each day, how the entertainment world is impacting society, prioritizing being of service, contributing positively to communities, and how Patrick has embraced Stoicism in his life.  Patrick Dempsey is an actor, race car driver, and founder of the Dempsey Center . He is most known fr...

It doesn’t matter that times are dark or violent or uncertain. We must be grateful, we must seize this gift we’ve been given while we have it.  🪙 Designed with the intention of carrying them in your pocket, our Memento Mori Medallion is a literal and inescapable reminder that “you could leave life right now.” Check it out at https://store.dailystoic.com/ ✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to you...

There are going to be moments of life that make you question just how much a person can possibly take. But there is that inner-citadel within you as well. Cultivate it now, reinforce it and it will be even stronger and more dependable when you need it. 🎶 Lyrics mentioned are from So Long, London by Taylor Swift 📕 Grab a copy of Hardship and Happiness (The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca)...

We need to make the virtues commonplace again—they are, as Marcus Aurelius said, “touchstones of goodness.” And we must start with the only thing we control: Our own decisions, motivations and actions. 📚 Learn how to live with virtue by reading the Stoic Virtues series by Ryan Holiday: Book 1: Courage is Calling | https://store.dailystoic.com/ Book 2: Discipline is Destiny | https://store.dailyst...

Today's episode is an excerpt from The Tao Of Seneca produced by Tim Ferriss’ Audio. In this letter, Seneca writes about how true philosophy requires acting in accordance with one's principles, advocating for consistency between one's inner life and outward behavior. Go to tim.blog/seneca to get the PDF for free.  Listen to more of The Tao of Seneca: 🎙️ Seneca on Despising Death 🎙️ Seneca on...

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are officially here!  To kick off the Olympics, Ryan talks to gold medalist Dominique Dawes, Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman, and legendary basketball coach George Raveling.  Dominique Dawes is one of only three US women to compete at three Olympics, and has won four Olympic medals. In the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Dominique earned a go...

You’ll never be happy or feel good if your sense of worth is tied up in always being well-received, if you can’t handle the injustice of being misunderstood or unfairly criticized. 📕 Right Thing, Right Now | https://store.dailystoic.com/ 🎟 Ryan Holiday is going on tour! Grab tickets at ryanholiday.net/tour 📓 Grab your own leather bound signed edition of The Daily Stoic! Check it out at the Daily...

Marcus Aurelius put his words down in Greek over 1,850 years ago. They have not changed. But each time a new translator has looked at them, they’ve found something different. Ask DS: Does leadership equal sacrifice?  How do you stay motivated, present, and fulfilled while also keeping Memento Mori in mind?  🎙️Listen to part 1 of Ryan’s Q&A with the FBI | Spotify , Apple , Wondery Tra...