Stillness is the Key

by Ryan Holiday

Leisure is not the absence of activity, it is activity. What is absent is any external justification—you can’t do leisure for pay, you can’t do it to impress people.

It’s the humility of being bad at something because we are a beginner, but having the confidence to trust in the process.

To do leisure well—to be present, to be open, to be virtuous, to be connected—is hard. We cannot let it turn into a job, into another thing to dominate and to dominate others through.

The chaos of life leads into the chaos of planning a vacation.

You can’t escape, with your body, problems that exist in your mind and soul.

Build a life that you don’t need to escape from.

High-minded thoughts and inner work are one thing, but all that matters is what you do.

Dive in when you hear the cry for help. Reach out when you see the need. Do kindness where you can.