avatarSohil Kohly

Summary

The article discusses the impact of Ryan Holiday's teachings on Stoicism, particularly through his podcast "The Daily Stoic," and lists nine life rules inspired by his work that can lead to a better life.

Abstract

The author expresses gratitude for discovering Ryan Holiday's work during the pandemic, which introduced them to Stoicism through "The Daily Stoic" podcast. This podcast features stories of ancient Greek and Roman figures and their approaches to daily challenges, providing listeners with strategies for resilience, happiness, and virtue. The article distills Holiday's teachings into nine practical rules for daily living, emphasizing the importance of waking up early, focusing on efforts over results, reading daily, and embracing challenges, among others. These rules are presented as a means to navigate modern life with the wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophy.

Opinions

  • The author found Ryan Holiday's teachings on Stoicism to be particularly beneficial during the pandemic, suggesting their timeliness and relevance for contemporary challenges.
  • Ryan Holiday is credited with making Stoicism accessible and relatable to modern life, bridging the gap between ancient philosophy and everyday practices.
  • The article suggests that embracing Stoicism can lead to significant personal improvements, such as increased resilience, happiness, and self-discipline.
  • The author recommends two of Ryan Holiday's books, "Courage is Calling" and "Discipline is Destiny," as valuable resources for those interested in applying Stoic principles to their lives.
  • The article emphasizes the importance of controlling one's own actions and attitudes, rather than fixating on external circumstances, as a core tenet of Stoic philosophy.
  • By advocating for the adoption of the nine listed rules, the author conveys a strong belief in the practical benefits of Stoic teachings for personal growth and self-improvement.

9 Short Rules Ryan Holiday Taught Me To Live a Better Life

#8: Think About Death

Photo by Jodie Cook on Unsplash

“Hey Siri, play ‘The Daily Stoic’ podcast by Ryan Holiday”.

I’ve used that line more often than I can remember. I’m thankful for the pandemic, for one reason and one reason only:

Because it led me to Ryan Holiday & the concept of ‘Stoicism’. Not only does he have a wicked last-name, Ryan Holiday’s work was a game changer for me during the Pandemic. He introduced me to stoicism, which for us 21st century individuals could not have been more timely after the past few years we experienced. Like the majority of us, I was stuck in a basement in 2020 with my mental healthtaking blows in everyday like it was in the ring fighting vs. Muhammed Ali. Endless worries and doubt kept me at edge and led me to scrolling my phone more often than I should have. Thankfully I did, because that’s when I discovered ‘The Daily Stoic’ podcast.

The Daily Stoic is a podcast by Ryan Holiday designed to make us more resilient, happier, and virtuous through countless tales of how Greek and Roman Emperors dealt with their daily lives hundreds of years ago. By listening to these stories of how Marcus Aurelius or Seneca dealt with their problems, I gained an appreciation for this concept of Stocisim. Ryan’s teachings are great because he delves into how he relates these ancient concepts, into his every-day life, and how we can too. Through his podcast, I was introduced to his blog posts (I know… even he writes on Medium) and best-selling books. My two favorites I recommend are Courage is Calling and Discipline is Destiny.

We suffer more in imagination than reality – Seneca

To save you time, I’ve included a list of 9 short rules below Ryan Holiday has taught me to live better every day, and they will help you as well.

1. Wake Up Early

2. Focus on Efforts, Not Results

3. Read every day

4. Strict with yourself, forgiving of others

5. Seek out challenges

6. Stay a student

7. Cut toxic people out of your life

8. Think about death

9. Focus on what you can control

Give Stoicism a practice for yourself, and the best way is give that a start is to implement these rules into your daily life

Want to truly become the best version of yourself and master the art of self-improvement, habits & investing?

Create your own medium account, and check out my other stories below to get started:

Stoicism
Health
Self Improvement
Books
Life
Recommended from ReadMedium