The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

by Ryan Holiday

differentiating between what we can change and what we can’t.

only the educated are free.”

It has a purpose. Remember that imperative on the days you start to feel distracted,

Knowledge—self-knowledge in particular—is freedom.

One of the hardest things to do in life is to say “No.”

Even harder is saying no to certain time-consuming emotions: anger, excitement, distraction, obsession, lust.

Start by learning the power of “No!”—as in “No, thank you,” and “No, I’m not going to get caught up in that,” and “No, I just can’t right now.”

This will let you live and enjoy your life—the life that you want.

Perception, Action, Will. Those are the three overlapping but critical disciplines of Stoicism

begin with an end in mind.

A person who doesn’t know their purpose in life doesn’t know who they are or what the universe is.

Have you taken the time to get clarity about who you are and what you stand for? Or are you too busy chasing unimportant things, mimicking the wrong influences, and following disappointing or unfulfilling or nonexistent paths?

We start with coffee in the morning, and soon enough we can’t start the day without it.

But you must reclaim the ability to abstain because within it is your clarity and self-control.

“Some things are in our control, while others are not.

You don’t control the situation, but you control what you think about it.

The Stoics seek steadiness, stability, and tranquility—traits most of us aspire to but seem to experience only fleetingly.

If you want to be steady, if you want clarity, proper judgment is the best way.