| The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald One of the lessons from this story reminded me of something Seneca said. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but reading through Letters From a Stoic, I found it: “He who begins to be your friend because it pays will also cease because it pays.” Ask the Dust by John Fante If our egos run the show, we can’t live authentically. The Moviegoer by Walker Percy No one is too smart or too talented to help solve the problems of daily life. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley Things done daily are habits. Things done weekly are obligations. Fragments by Heraclitus All things are in a constant state of change. The Second Mountain by David Brooks We choose whether or not to believe; faith is a choice. How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur Moral philosophy boils down to 4 questions: What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is there something I could do that’s better? Why is it better? Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson The principles you cling to when things get hard are what define you. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Asking ourselves ‘what if?’ is a waste of time and robs us of the joy that life so readily provides. Phosphorescence by Julia Baird Kindle and keep accessible the light inside you—the light you can turn to when the world goes dark. That One Should Disdain Hardships by Musonius Rufus We’re quick to accept hardships in the pursuit of money and fame, but slow to accept hardships in the pursuit of what’s guaranteed to pay dividends for the rest of our lives—virtue. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Our mind is naturally tranquil—we corrupt it with desires and aversions. “It’s the pursuit of these things, and your attempts to avoid them, that leave you in such turmoil. And yet they aren’t seeking you out; you are the one seeking them.” The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman Wisdom is acquired by learning one thing every day. A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy Our happiness grows in proportion to the love and kindness we feel toward the world. This is Water by David Foster Wallace It takes a constant, conscious effort to not think of ourselves as the center of the world. Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Sadhguru Love has nothing to do with another person. It’s a way of being. A Field Guide to a Happy Life by Massimo Pigliucci We’re more concerned with expressing our opinion than questioning why we have that opinion in the first place. The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Sharon Lebell Anger is caused by our judgments, not by situations or other people. When we’re angry, we’re really just angry at ourselves, at our own judgments. The Dip by Seth Godin You have to know when to quit and when to push through. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Sometimes we climb mountains just because they’re there. The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger In every situation, we have a choice. And as long as we have a choice, we are free. So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport The “adjacent possible” is where breakthroughs are made. It’s the area right outside of the cutting edge. Whether you want to make a breakthrough in science or in your career, begin at the cutting edge and inch your way into the adjacent possible by solving the next problem that needs solving. Freedom by Sebastian Junger “An important part of freedom is not having to make sacrifices for people who don’t have to make sacrifices for you.” Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman You have to neglect almost everything to get anything done. Time management is really about knowing what to neglect. The Art of Happiness by Epicurus Sound judgment is the foundation for all other virtues. The Girl Who Would Be Free by Ryan Holiday “Life is very short. To take it or other people for granted, to wish things had been different, is to waste your life. Amor Fati, my dear, Amor Fati.” How to be Content by Horace “No one is poor who has the use of plenty.” How to Give by Seneca You’ll never be grateful if you’re not grateful right now. Buddha by Karen Armstrong “A Buddha is not one who has simply attained his own salvation, but one who can sympathize with the suffering of others, even though he himself has won an immunity to pain.” Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright If we’re not vigilant of our thoughts, we’re in danger of becoming controlled by them. A Better Man by Michael Ian Black Asking for help or allowing yourself to cry are signs of strength, not weakness. It’s what makes you human. Even Jesus, while being crucified, showed his humanity when he cried out, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith We’re responsible for understanding our history. Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be by Steven Pressfield “The Muse does not count hours. She counts commitment. It is possible to be one hundred percent committed ten percent of the time. The goddess understands.” Discourses by Epictetus “You have to work either on your commanding faculty or on external things. Either the inner or the outer should be the focus of your efforts, which means adopting the role either of a philosopher or of an ordinary person.” Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis We don’t want what we want. We want what other people want. How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell Embrace your contradictions, love all the past versions of yourself, reject certainty, and don’t take yourself too seriously. Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday Discipline is both predictive and deterministic because it increases your likelihood of success and it guarantees that no matter what—win or lose—you, yourself, are great. First We Read, Then We Write by Robert D. Richardson Ralph Waldo Emerson found more pleasure in the act of creating than in the finished creation itself. The Perfect Pass by S.C. Gwynne Build on what does exist to create what doesn’t. How To Be a Bad Emperor by Suetonius The one thing all bad leaders have in common: self-indulgence. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown Trust your teammates. Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew B. Crawford Work is satisfying when it’s cognitively challenging and useful. Work (or any activity) that’s done solely for the outcome is burdensome. The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro Robert Moses knew the law better than anyone because he read the law better than anyone. While others couldn’t be bothered, he dissected page after page of confusing legal jargon. He connected the dots between nonchalant phrases and enormous implications. He saw how vague wording created opportunities for discretion—and manipulation. He learned how to write laws that gave him near-absolute power—laws that no one understood until it was too late. Time and again during my reading I thought of Shelley A. Ashcroft’s quote: “Those who do not read are at the mercy of those who do.” How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy Every time you work on creating something, even if nothing of significance comes from it, you’re at least clearing the pathway for the muse. You’re strengthening your connection to a higher realm and making the creation process easier. (So keep going—it will get easier!) Wild Problems by Russ Roberts A meaningful life is one lived without regard for day-to-day pleasures and pains. Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh Space creates the remarkable. “One moon shell is more impressive than three. One double-sunrise is an event; six are a succession, like a week of school days.” Open by Andre Agassi “Even if it’s not your ideal life, you can always choose it. No matter what your life is, choosing it changes everything.” Letters from a Stoic by Seneca “Even if there were many years left to you, you would have had to spend them frugally in order to have enough for the necessary things; but as it is, when your time is so scant, what madness it is to learn superfluous things!” |