Your Saturday Stoic Review — Week of July 4 - 10

​ ​ PASSAGE OF THE WEEK: Focus on yourself. Mind your own business. Practice some empathy. Try to, you know, understand. Let people figure things out for themselves. Let them break new ground. Let them find themselves. And while they're doing that, focus on what you control, like being decent and kind and open-minded. — You Need to Calm Down (Listen) YOUTUBE TAKEAWAY OF THE WEEK: ​ In one of the most watched videos on the Daily Stoic YouTube Channel this week, Ryan Holiday brings you along for a month in his life as he tries to live up to this philosophy. In it, Ryan works on the final draft of his next book in the Stoic virtues series, travels to Mississippi then Maryland then Florida then Chicago then New York City for some speaking engagements, sits down for a meal with Manu Ginóbili, drives to Big Bend National Park for a camping trip with his family, talks about the books he read, and reflects back on some of the big lessons learned that month, "A big one is of course it's easy to over commit and be too busy. When I look at the calendar…it was too much. It's a calibration—as the world kind of adjusts and we embrace whatever this phase of the pandemic is, I agreed to more than I wanted. And so I I emailed my speaking agency and I said, 'this is as busy as I would ever want to be. This is the line, we can't go past it. That's important from a work-life balance standpoint but also professionally. By drawing the line, by creating scarcity—here's what I'm willing to do and here's what I'm not willing to do, here's how many slots there are—you also increase value. So saying No to me is the big lesson." PODCAST TAKEAWAY OF THE WEEK: ​ On the Daily Stoic podcast this week, Ryan Holiday talks to Sam Koppelman about his new book Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote-A History, a Crisis, a Plan, the history of voting rights, the tactics of some of history's great orators, the progress made and the work that still needs to be done, "We try to get at this idea in the book of having a sense of the people who made the sacrifices for us to all live in the world we live in today. Which in many ways, flawed as it is, is privileged beyond the imagination of those previous generations. A world where the median American is way richer than Marie Antoinette was in her time. We have an obligation to pay it forward as a country and to build on the legacy of the sacrifices made by past generations." WHAT RYAN HOLIDAY IS READING: "The less love a person has, the more he suffers. If you are in a difficult situation, a low mood, if you are afraid of other people and of yourself, if you are tormented, then tell yourself: 'I will love everyone whom I meet in this life.' Try to follow this rule; and you will see that everything will find its way, and everything will seem simple, and you will no longer have doubts or fears." — A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul by Leo Tolstoy YOUR STOIC WEEKEND REMINDER: Stop complaining Complaining is easy. It's as natural to us as breathing. Complaining is describing something—an event, an experience, a person—negatively without any indication of next steps or plans to fix the problem. It requires little thinking and zero action. Whether it be damning God, the government, the universe, faulty technology, slow Wi-Fi, the authorities, or traffic, anyone can find something to complain about. But what good has complaining ever done anyone in the long run? Sure, shaking your fist at the sky and venting your frustrations can feel liberating in the moment, but has it ever changed your circumstances for the better, solved your problems or made you happier? We're willing to bet the answer is no. That's why Marcus Aurelius said, "Don't be overheard complaining…Not even to yourself." (For more things the Stoics said you should stop doing, watch this video!) THIS WEEK'S BEST SOCIAL MEDIA POST: ​ EMAIL OF THE WEEK: ​Are You Really Free? (Listen) Today's email is sponsored by LMNT, the maker of electrolyte drink mixes that help you stay active at home, work, the gym, or anywhere else. Everyone needs electrolytes, whether it's athletes, for a diabetic or ketogenic diet, or just people trying to stay healthy. LMNT's electrolytes are key for relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness. We really like the combination of effective nutrition with tasty flavors (the mango chili is great!). LMNT is offering Daily Stoic subscribers a FREE LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase. Your Sample Pack includes 8 packets of LMNT (2 citrus, 2 raspberry, 2 orange and 2 raw unflavored). To claim this exclusive deal you must go to drinkLMNT.com/dailystoic. Give LMNT a try today.​ ​ ​ ​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 906 Main Street #274, Bastrop, Texas 78602 ​info@dailystoic.com is not a monitored email