Ryan Holiday Quotes

BE RUTHLESS TO THE THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER “How many have laid waste to your life when you weren’t aware of what you were losing, how much was wasted in pointless grief, foolish joy, greedy desire, and social amusements — how little of your own was left to you. You will realize you are dying before your time!” — SENECA, ON THE BREVITY OF LIFE, 3.3b

Imagine if for every person you met, you thought of some way to help them, something you could do for them? And you looked at it in a way that entirely benefited them and not you. The cumulative effect this would have over time would be profound: You’d learn a great deal by solving diverse problems. You’d develop a reputation for being indispensable. You’d have countless new relationships. You’d have an enormous bank of favors to call upon down the road. That’s what the canvas strategy is about — helping yourself by helping others.

It’s a temptation that exists for everyone — for talk and hype to replace action.

When I see an anxious person, I ask myself, what do they want? For if a person wasn’t wanting something outside of their own control, why would they be stricken by anxiety?” — EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.13.1

Not a lot of people understand this... but you actually don’t have to have an opinion about everything. You don’t have to decide if something is good or bad. Marcus Aurelius says limiting the amount of opinions we have is one of the most powerful things we can do in life.

Focus on the present moment, not the monsters that may or may not be ahead.

Trust your gut. Do your duty.
Maybe it will work out. Maybe it won't.
The hero does it anyway.

Focus on the moment, not the monsters that may or may not be up ahead.

When you're lacking motivation, remind yourself: discipline now, freedom later. The labor will pass, and the rewards will last.

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

In an age of images and entertainment, in an age of instant emotional gratification, we neither seek nor want honesty or reality. Reality is complicated. Reality is boring. We are incapable or unwilling to handle its confusion.

All of humanity’s problems,” Blaise Pascal said in 1654, “stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

The only real failure is abandoning your principles.

Give yourself clarity, not sympathy - there'll be plenty of time for that later.

Reject distraction.
Weigh advice against the counsel of our convictions.
Deliberate without being paralyzed.