The Daily Stoic
Episodes
Can You Do It Even When You Don’t Want To? | Cultivate Indifference
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can you do it even when it's hard? Even when you don't want to? Even when you think maybe that you can't?Looking to make real, lasting change in your ...
BONUS: How Abraham Lincoln Proved The Obstacle Is the Way
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This President’s Day, learn how Abraham Lincoln turned every challenge into an opportunity to grow. From personal loss to political failure, each se...
This Is What It Takes To Lead | The Enemy of Happiness
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Truman also said, not all readers are leaders, but there is nothing better to start you on the path to leadership than reading great books. 📚 Ch...
Socrates vs. The Thirty Tyrants | Philosophy in an Age of Fear
16 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Thirty Tyrants were a ruthless group that crushed anyone who opposed them. Socrates had personal ties to some of its leaders but refused to take p...
Josh Brolin on Embracing Life’s Messiness With Stoicism (PT. 2)
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Part 2 episode, Josh Brolin and Ryan talk about shedding the ‘young talent’ image, the transformative power of gratitude, and the evo...
This Is Always The Answer | Robert Greene's 6 Stoic Concepts For A Fulfilling Life
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not that the Stoics had no temper or no fear or no moments where their life felt unfulfilled. It’s that they controlled those emotions and re...
This Is A Choice You’re Making | Ask Daily Stoic
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We think if we just make enough money, we won't have to worry anymore. We think if we just become powerful enough, we'll be free from feeling pushed a...
Don’t Put Things Off
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Life has a way stripping all our reasons bare, of humbling our plans and assumptions.🪙 Designed with the intention of carrying them in your pocket,...
Josh Brolin on Embracing Life’s Messiness With Stoicism (PT. 1)
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Brolin joins Ryan to talk about the childhood trauma that shaped him, the cathartic process of writing his memoir, and how confronting his past b...
To The End They Remain | Watch Over Your Perceptions
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We never met Marcus Aurelius or listened to Epictetus lecture. And yet, do they not feel real to us? Do they not still inspire and speak to us?📓 Pi...
This Is The Purpose of Desire | Anger Is Bad Fuel
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics warned us about this endless cycle, not to condemn desire entirely, but to remind us that fulfillment doesn’t come from acquisition. The ...
Redesign Your Life With This | Ryan Holiday Live in Sydney, Australia
09 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Ryan Holiday for an in-depth dive into Stoic wisdom, delivered to a packed audience at Sydney Town Hall in Australia.🎥 Watch this talk on YouT...
Steve Magness on Winning The Inside Game
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his work as a performance expert, Steve Magness has discovered that to truly reach the highest level in any field, it’s the mental game that matt...
Two Words To Lead And Live By | How To Be A Man (Lessons From The Stoics)
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The most important thing displayed in Andy Reid’s his office is not a trophy. Instead, it’s a simple 3x5 index card—now decades old—with ...
You Make This For Yourself | Ask Daily Stoic
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps you feel a bit like Marcus Aurelius did when he wrote in Meditations, “I was once a fortunate man but at some point fortune abandoned me.”...
What Did You Think You Would See?
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The reason it makes you upset is because you expect it to be otherwise. Because you let it surprise you. Because you take it personally.🎙️ Follow...
Alexi Pappas on Ditching Goals and Her Strategy For Maximizing Mentorship
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to assume an Olympian would be all about external achievements, but Alexi Pappas has redefined what success means to her by letting go of ...
We Are Better For This | On Being Invincible
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’d prefer to be less hemmed in, to have more freedom, to have fewer rules. But we are made better for the constraints of life. Today's entry ...
Don’t Let It Turn You Upside Down | Suspend Your Opinions
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have to remind ourselves, as Marcus Aurelius did, that no matter what other people do (or what other people get away with), our job is to be good.&...
Grow A Coaching Tree
02 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By supporting, encouraging, and influencing others, our efforts can live on. What matters is that we are the candle that lights another, which in turn...
Matthew McConaughey LIVE at The Painted Porch
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does Matthew McConaughey deal with difficult people? What’s his approach to dealing with life’s red lights? And what advice does he offer to s...
BONUS: Finding Stillness Amidst The Chaos | Ryan and Samantha Holiday
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While in Vancouver, mom of four asked Ryan - "How do I achieve stillness while being a parent and juggling everything in my business?" In today's bonu...
Does It Measure Up? | Philosophy As Medicine Of The Soul
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You want to achieve. You want to leave your mark on the universe. You want to conquer the world.🎥 Watch 9 Stoic Lessons From Iron Maiden on YouTube...
The Time Is Now | Ask Daily Stoic
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius didn’t always make the right choices. Neither will we. The important thing is what we do after we come to this realization, after we...
Have You Tried Asking For This?
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t wish for things to be a certain way, Epictetus says, but wish for them to be as they are. 🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Insta...
Matthew McConaughey on Family, Fame, and Livin' Authentically
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How has Matthew McConaughey managed to keep his priorities straight while living in the spotlight? In today’s episode, he opens up about balancing f...
We Forget These Heroes | How To Organize Your Life Like A Stoic Philosopher
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cato defying Caesar. Rutilius Rufus going into exile. Marcus Aurelius on the battlefield.These were great and daring deeds of course. Lesser known of ...
You Need This Trait To Live Your Best Life | Focus On The Present Moment
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have to be willing to question. We have to be willing to try new things…or we’ll never get better.Since we received such great feedback from th...
Seneca on Master and Slave
26 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this letter, Seneca is arguing against the treatment of slaves and uses slavery as a metaphor to illustrate how we allow things to control us and t...
Dr. Fauci on How Diseases Have Shaped the Course of History
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Diseases have defined eras, from the Antonine Plague during Marcus Aurelius’ reign to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Fauci, a public health leade...
Without It You’d Be Lost | Push For Deep Understandings
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Too many of us are total strangers to ourselves. The one that is whispering to us so many important lessons. 📚 Check out The Daily Stoic Boxed Set ...
Come Back To This | Ask Daily Stoic
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn’t matter how badly we’ve messed up, how much we’ve fallen off course, it’s still there. It’s not exactly waiting for us, but it con...
It’s About The Promises You Make To Yourself
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all make promises to ourselves—set goals, set standards, make plans. We don’t all keep them.🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram...
Dan Heath’s Reset Strategy | How to Change What’s Not Working
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Changing our work patterns can feel daunting. We’re held back by the comfort of familiar routines and overwhelmed by the constant demands of urgent ...
Want To Be Successful? Be This | 15 (Stoic) Life Lessons I Wish I Knew At 20
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People want to be successful. They look at what successful people have done throughout history and they look for strategies, they look for models.Chec...
BONUS: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Inspiring Lesson on Courage
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here is a lesson on courage we could all hear today. 📕 Check out the Virtue Series 3-Book Bundle which incl...
They Are Cut Off From Truth | A Little Better Every Day
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of people have been cut off from the truth. We can be sympathetic to this without assenting to it.📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily ...
Stoic Lessons From Jimmy Carter's Legacy
19 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his speech at the U.S. Naval Academy, Ryan shares the timeless Stoic lessons we can learn from Jimmy Carter’s life and his remarkable example of ...
Bob Bowman on Coaching Champions | Michael Phelps, Discipline, and Self Mastery
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bob Bowman is the coach behind 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and Paris Olympics swimming superstar Léon Marchand. Today, Bob joins Rya...
We Have To Do This For Each Other | Reboot The Real Work
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While we can't stop the fires or undo the damage, we can do what the Stoics taught us. Offer the kind of help we hope to receive should we ever need i...
It Doesn’t Matter Who It’s From | Ask Daily Stoic
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Philosophy isn’t about allegiance to a school—it’s about a commitment to growth, resilience, and truth wherever we find it.🎥 Watch A Life Cha...
Worry About This And Forget The Rest
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s up to us is that we do our best, what’s up to us is that we are the best we’re capable of being.✉️ Sign up for the Daily Dad ema...
Ryan Holiday on Practicing Stoicism for Personal and Professional Balance | The Jordan Harbinger Show
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can practicing Stoicism help us balance career success with personal fulfillment? Tune in to hear Ryan Holiday on The Jordan Harbinger Show as he ...
This Practice Will Define Your Year | 7 Stoic Mantras That Will Change Your Life
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Epictetus said that by writing, reading, and speaking our philosophical journal, we keep the teachings top of mind and are better able to follow them....
This Is What The World Thinks Of Your Dreams | The Wake Up
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world does not give anyone what they deserve. Still, we have to figure it out. We have to decide how we’re going to respond. We have to make the...
The Stoic Disciplines of Perception, Action, and Will
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Ryan Holiday as he speaks to Creech Air Force Base about turning obstacles into opportunities through the Stoic disciplines of perception, action...
Greeking Out’s Kenny Curtis on How Ancient Myths Teach The Human Experience
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Greek myths have been passed down through generations, remaining as relevant as ever with their spot-on portrayal of the human experience—proving th...
You Must Return Again and Again | If You Want To Be Steady
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“You must linger among a limited number of master-thinkers, and digest their works,” Seneca wrote, “if you would derive ideas which shall win fi...
This is What A Life Well-Lived Looks Like | Ask Daily Stoic
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is, of course, sad to hear of Jimmy Carter’s passing. On the other hand, no one can say that he was taken from us too soon. This man got mor...
Rupi Kaur on 10 Years of Milk & Honey, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, and Empowering Others
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 2014, a few months after Ryan Holiday released his first book on Stoicism, The Obstacle Is the Way, another young author, Rupi Kaur, self-published...
The Secret To Climbing The Mountain
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The problems we face seem overwhelming. The change we seek will not be easy. What do we do?🎥 Watch 9 Stoic Lessons From Iron Maiden on YouTube: htt...
You Weren’t Born This Way | The Six Stereotypes Of Stoicism
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius would say that the student of philosophy is like a boxer. Through training and practice and repetition, a boxer becomes one with their...
Where Does The Good Go? | The Sphere of Choice
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are right to be disappointed and frustrated with the state of the world. At the same time, we never need to despair about good in the world be...
The Secret To Better Habits In 2025
05 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here we are…at the halfway point of the 2020s. The first half seems like it was both yesterday and forever ago, doesn’t it? In today's episode, Ry...
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s Essential Daily Practices for a Healthier, Happier Life
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do your emotional responses and daily habits affect your health? Dr. Rangan Chatterjee joins Ryan to discuss how intentional practices can create ...
This Is Why You Do It | Be Ruthless To The Things That Don't Matter
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus Aurelius was an all-powerful emperor. No one else was interrogating him, no one else was subjecting him to these hard questions. He knew that i...
Let This Guide You In Challenging Times | Ask Daily Stoic
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stoicism is designed to be a daily practice, part of our daily routines. It’s not a philosophy you read once and magically understand at the soul-le...
Reminders From James Clear on How To Get 1% Better Every Day
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kick off 2025 on the right note by revisiting James Clear’s first interview from 2021, one of the most popular episodes of The Daily Stoic Podcast. ...
Today Is A Miracle
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is an incredible gift you have been given. A wonderful opportunity. Have something to show for the next 365 days. Have something to show for toda...
BONUS: 10 Stoic Habits To Practice In 2025
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How much longer are you going to wait to demand the best of yourself? The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks of ALL-NEW, actionable ch...
What Are You Waiting For? | 10 Timeless Meditations From Stoic Philosophy
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You are at a crossroads. Make the right call.The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks of ALL-NEW, actionable challenges, presented in an...
The Time To Start Doing This Is Now | What's Up To Us, What's Not Up To Us
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?” Epictetus says. Start Now.The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is...
BONUS: Why They Do This | You Need To Quit These 14 Habits In 2025
29 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What Seneca said is true—that the only people to pity are those who never experience difficulty because they never knew what they’re capable of.Th...
The Life of Musonius Rufus the Unbreakable
29 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know Musonius Rufus, the resilient Stoic philosopher and teacher of Epictetus, in today's episode. Learn how he exemplified Stoic principles wh...
Stoic Parenting Principles | Essential Lessons From 2024
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Parenting can often feel like a maze of conflicting opinions, pressures, and expectations. But what if we could simplify it by taking a Stoic approach...
What Do You Do When You Have Nothing To Do? | Don't Let Your Soul Go First
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The in-between moments. The extra time you were planning to get. What do you do in these moments?The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 week...
This Is Why We Don’t Change | Ask Daily Stoic
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We make lists and resolutions, plans and promises, while the clock ticks on. And suddenly, the moment is gone.The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challe...
This Has Been Passed Down To Us
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Remarkably, Seneca and Jesus lived nearly parallel lives. More incredible is just how much their teachings overlap. And it’s worth taking some time ...
The Four Stoic Virtues | Real-Life Role Models to Inspire You
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom are not just abstract concepts from Stoic history, they are virtues that are still embodied by individuals to...
Surprise People Like This | Powerful Life Lessons From Epictetus
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps your own position affords you certain advantages. The true measure of your character, however, lies in how lightly you wear these honors. The ...
Who Do You Wish To Become? | Turn Words Into Works
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Stoics understood that it was only by changing our actions that we could change who we are. The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks...
The Wisest Man Alive (Yet Not Without Flaws)
22 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Socrates is considered the man who brought philosophy down from the heavens. He made philosophy practical, accessible, urgent, but he was also contrad...
The Daily Stoic Wrapped 2024 | Timeless Wisdom, Lessons, and Reminders
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Spotify Wrapped releasing just a few days ago, we’re excited to share The Daily Stoic Wrapped 2024 — unforgettable messages and highli...
You Can Wake The Dead | Don’t Be Mad At Good People
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every time we open a book, watch a documentary, or listen to the words of someone long gone, we’re waking the dead.🎥 Watch Ken Burns’ intervie...
How Everything Can Change | Ask Daily Stoic
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t need perfect conditions or absolute confidence to move forward. You need only to take the next step.The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Chal...
These Are No Good To You
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are going to face scary situations in life. Our mind can be our friend in these situations or our worst enemy.🎥 Watch A Life Changing Stoic Less...
O.A.R.'s Benj Gershman on Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we tie our identity to what we do rather than who we truly are, losing that sense of self can be devastating. Benj Gershman, bassist for the rock...
Are You Afraid to Start? | 10 Years Of Lessons From The Obstacle Is The Way
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have to be strong enough to will ourselves to do what needs to be done. Don’t be afraid to start. Don’t put it off any longer.The Daily Stoic N...
These Make You Beautiful | Stake Your Claim
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You are what your choices make you, nothing more and nothing less.The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks of ALL-NEW, actionable challe...
Enjoy These Moments While You Can
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These moments give us time and space for gratitude in our life, where we have the ability to see the big picture, where we can get perspective, where ...
James Clear’s Guide to Turning New Year's Resolutions into Lasting Habits
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New Year’s Day begins a frenzy of ambitious goals and resolutions, yet by the end of January most have already been abandoned. James Clear, bestsell...
This Roman Party Trick Holds A Hidden Wisdom | It’s Just A Number
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a lesson we’d do well to remember today. Don’t overdo anything. Don’t take virtue or vice in its pure or unadulterated form.The Daily Sto...
You Don’t Love Yourself Enough | Ask Daily Stoic
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Each morning when you wake up, life presents you with an opportunity. You know what you’re capable of. The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challe...
Richard Reeves on Why Men Are Being Set Up To Fail (PT. 2)
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Young men are struggling to find guidance and make sense of their place in society, so what can we do about it? In today’s Part 2 episode, Richard R...
You Can Handle More Than You Can Handle
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You have so much more in you than it feels like you do. You got this.The Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge is 3 weeks of ALL-NEW, actionable cha...
Turn These Things Over | How 10 Years Of Studying Stoicism Changed Ryan Holiday's Life
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The small, deliberate acts of journaling, reading, and meditating—these are not just habits but rituals that fortify the soul and create the steady ...
It’s Time To Change (And You Know It) | Keep The Rhythm
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The definition of insanity, they say, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. What could this year be if you finally li...
9 Stoic Lessons From Iron Maiden
08 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stoicism and Iron Maiden may seem like an unlikely duo, but there is a surprising number of philosophical lessons the heavy metal band has taught Ryan...
Richard Reeves on Why Men Are Being Set Up To Fail (PT. 1)
07 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While women have made incredible strides over the past few decades, men have found themselves stuck in a tornado of confusion and disinformation aroun...
It's Easy To Take This For Granted | Teach Them To Do The Right Thing
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The more you are content with your surroundings, whatever they are, the more power you have.📕 We’re excited to announce that we’ve put together...
We Want That But Need This | Ask DS
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not about abundance. It’s about nourishment, inspiration, guidance, reassurance, clarity.Check out AJ Jacobs' podcast The Puzzler!🎙️ Lis...
Not Who’s Right, What’s Right
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Stoic will flip-flop…if the facts demand it. A Stoic will give up…if they’ve been going the wrong direction.✉️ Want Stoic wisdom deli...
Judge Frederic Block on the Moral Duties and Real-Life Stories of Prison Reform
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The First Step Act in 2018 included provisions for non-violent federal inmates to petition for early release or reductions in their sentences. How to ...
Have You Done This? | 13 Stoic Strategies For Conquering Your Anxiety
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Find ways to be of service. Find ways to pay forward the acts of charity and grace that we would not be here without.Locate a blood bank near you: red...
This Is A Tragedy | Be Stingy With Time
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The great fortune of Marcus Aurelius' life, he says at one point in Meditations, is not just that he himself has never known serious want, it’s that...
Don’t Forget To Practice This
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Those of us who have been blessed—whether it be love, time, or resources—have an opportunity and responsibility to share it with others. The more ...
AJ Jacobs on His Year of Living Constitutionally (Muskets and Tricorne Hats Included)
30 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There have been few changes and additions to the United States Constitution since it was ratified in 1788, despite life being wildly different now a f...
Let’s Be Good Stoics Today | To Have A More Peaceful Home, Have Fewer of These
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While some of us sit here with stomachs filled with as many Thanksgiving foods as we could manage, there are those feeling the rumblings of an empty s...
Every Day Is A Day To Give Thanks | Ask DS
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As you gather around your family and friends this Thanksgiving, of course, appreciate it and give thanks for all the obvious and bountiful gifts that ...
This Is Why We Do It
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we do good, we don’t need to ask for more, because practicing virtue is its own profound return.📿 Get your own Four Virtues Pendant to wear ...