12 Stoic Lessons That Will Immediately Change Your Life - Ryan Holiday 

I am 73 years old and have 4th stage prostate cancer, the day they told me I had between 1 and 2 years to live was the best day of my life. That was 4 years ago.

"A Gem Cannot Be Polished Without Friction, Nor A Man Perfected Without Trials." - Seneca

Reminded me a quote from the Dalai Lama: "If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”

I'm gonna be honest right now: when I clicked on this video, I didn't think much of it. I just thought "it probably won't change my life but just give it a try". And oh boy, was I wrong. Before I watched this video, I wasn't really positive. Over a year had passed since I had to face a breakup and I still wasn't over it... but after watching this video for the first time, a lot has changed - you could probably say my whole life has. This video had me really motivated, I got more and more into stoicism and self-improvement, I started meditating, stopped wasting my time on my phone, came back to working out, finally got over the breakup and overall just appreciated everything a lot more. The last few months have been some of the most positive months of my life, so thank you. I highly recommend this video to everyone out there, spread this mindset to more people and make as many people as happy as possible. Have a wonderful day if you read this - and live it like it's your last one.

"Whatever time has passed is already owned by death.". Incredible.

"Winning the morning is the key to winning the day" could not have said it any better 👏

*“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ―Epictetus*

God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can. And , the Wisdom to know the difference.

I live in Zimbabwe Africa and we are facing economic struggles that i can't do anything about as an ordinary citizen but listening to this video has changed my view of life and the world. Hopefully everyone gets to learn from this and realise that true happiness is always inside you not your skin colour environment or economic condition. Thank you uploader

*Epictetus* 1 lesson: Our first job is this, to divide and distinguish things into two categories: Externals I cannot control, but the choices I make with regard to what I do control. Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my choices. 2 lesson: It is not events that disturb people, it's their judgment about things. 3 lesson: Get rid of self conceit. It is impossible to learn that which one thinks they already know. 4 lesson: The true man is revealed in difficult times. So when trouble comes, think of yourself as a wrestler paired with a tough young buck. For what purpose? To turn you into olympic-class material. *Seneca* 5 lesson: There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; We suffer more in imagination than in reality. 6 lesson: Excellence withers without an adversary. 7 lesson: Associate with those who will make a better man of you. Welcome those whom you yourself can improve. The process is mutual; For men learn as they teach. 8 lesson: This is our big mistake: To think we look forward to death. Most of death is already gone. Whatever time has passed is owned by death. *Marcus Aurelius* 9 lesson: At dawn when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: "I have to go to work as a human being. What do i have to complain of, if I am going to do what I was born for - The things I was brought into this world to do. Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?" 10 lesson: Our actions may be impeded, but there can be no impeding our intentions or our dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. 11 lesson: If, at some point in your life, if you should find anything better than justice, honesty, self-control, and courage, if you find anything better than that embrace it without reservation. It must be an extraordinary thing indeed. 12 lesson: No. It's fortunate that this has happened and I've remained unharmed by it - Not shattered by the present or frightened of the future. It could have happened to anyone. But not everyone could have remained unharmed by it. 13 lesson: You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think. It was the right thing to do. ;)

"Look at hardship as a sparring partner" love it!!!

My husband died in his 30's. We knew he had a shortened life span but it was still sudden. The last few years he was ill but he did the things that he wanted to, nothing huge, just play computer games, eat his favourite food and spend time with me. I used to be terrified of death but i feel now that i have a friendship with it, we know each other. I don't know what will happen to me but i'm not afraid and i have come to a point when i have no anger and the pain is part of life and being afraid of anything is pointless, it will not change the outcome.

As a person who has struggled with autoimmune disease, depression and being physically disabled, I can really relate to this way of thinking.. it has kept me going.. in not being so optimistic about life how most people will tell you, but to endure and accept the pain and struggle and learn to accept it’s a part of life.

I found out about this philosophy not to long ago and decided to go ahead and apply it to my life. I have been suffering from anxiety most my life and I find this way of living to be so much more helpful on my opinion because it is teaching you how to do the exact opposite of anxious worrying. Rather than freaking out over things you can't change, focus on what you can and watch yourself grow, improve, and stress less.

Seeing what the stoics went through in their time and their response to it makes me see I live in a culture of exceptional weakness.

Time and energy are precious. Spend them on things that are within your realm of control.

*BE PATIENT, Everything will be alright* 🙏 One of the hardest lesson I had to learn bc I paid the price for it

“Lost your job? Good. More time to get better” - Jocko Willink

This is the best thing I’ve ever found on RU-vid, I feel like now I have a lot to do.

It's 18 Dec 2022. 22:42 hours... I just realised that I've been a practicing Stoic all these decades... It's just that i am hearing about Stoic principles just minutes ago...

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is a choice we make in our mind with the story we give the pain.

Focus on what you can change and don’t worry about the things you can’t.

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one!” -Marcus Aurelius

my late father used to tell me as a 14year old boy,"Wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one you fill first" i lived my life with his wisdom and now i am 60 years old. thanks dad i miss your wisdom....

Absolutely fantastic! This is what should be taught in our schools instead of social injustice.

How do videos like these sit here with just 79k views, imagine if this is what goes viral and if everyone would start to apply this to their life

Stoicism is medicine and councel we all need.

I was raised catholic. (No longer practicing and now agnostic) i will say this. I would be a hell of a lot better off if these wise words were the prayers I repeated to myself everyday. My kids will know this wisdom.

This is pure gold. So timeless, with significant relevance to 2020 as we are lead to be so fearful of Covid... Variations have been repeated all these years. You immediately know these small repeated variations make sense (focus on what you can control), sure, makes sense. I didn't realize it was all figured out and documented so long ago. I wish I could keep this wisdom in mind always. We so easily forget and get agitated with something as insignificant as someone pulling out in front of us.

Sometimes the RU-vid algorithms give you just why you need….

the only thing we should be worried about is what we are worried about, we spent so much time imagining, worrying in advance that we actually torture ourselves more than the thing we're worrying about ever could and that is of course, if it ever happens at all. The most important thing to remember about pain and suffering Seneca said "is that it is inevitable, it can't be avoided, but what we must avoid is the phantom premonitions of what may or may not happen. Instead of suffering from imagination, focus immediately on what is in front of you. Stay in the present. Stay in reality."

Man, i have suffered through years of depression and now i think i can say I've pulled through. thanks to your channel introducing me to stoicism back in the years. You are a golden person. I aspire to be like you. Teaching people and lifting them out of their sadness and shine some light to their life even just a little light, to give them even a single reason to live another day. Again i aspire to be like you and maybe we could get in touch one day i want you to teach me your ways so that one day i can be a light that shines through the darkness of people's lives. Hope i get a response from you!

I am a stoic person. This video just helped me strengthened what I am and I must learn to keep fueling my heart and mind to keep going in life even through pandemic times...

Excellent video! We are both in our 80's and feel better than ever! We are all about healthy aging to prevent and reverse disease, which we both did! The key is to retain a strong body, a calm mind, and a positive outlook. Getting older at any age does not have to mean getting sicker. We're doing research on sites like this to make our new Health-Aging Advice RU-vid channel a success. We hope to inspire others and share a bit of wisdom. Learned a lot here. Thank you.

Thank you! I’m hearing these voices for the first time in my life and I’m in my 60s. I wish philosophy hadn’t been an elective in high school. It should have been a required course.

„You can’t change how people feel about you, so don’t try. Just live your life and be happy.“ Ralph Smart

I spent some time now mourning my fathers death while being 23, i feel that It's time now to go out and live, cause It's my time now to carry on forward to achieve greatness

This is my first year out of university (college for others). It has been an incredibly tasking year where I've gone through so much loss, grief and rejection. I'm really glad to have run into this today

i almost cried while listening to this,it reminds me on me,and the last days seemed hopeless,never stop fighting,even if the cost is your life,dying inside is way worse,the difference is dying on your feet is heroic,dying inside is worthless

First time hearing about stoicism. Completely blew my mind. Im going to start watching this whole video when i get up in the mornings

Wishing that everyone who watches this video will be safe, healthy, have all their wishes fulfilled, and any prayers answered. May those who feel lonely find comfort, those in poverty escape hardship, and those without daily sustenance have enough to eat and wear.!!

I lost my job because of the pandemic so I started a meditation and healing channel 🙏🏽

Thank you so much for sharing this with the world. I never get tired reflecting on these lessons. They have really helped me develop my approach to living. It's worth trying to practice these lessons each and every day. To embrace the struggle of living our lives the best we can.

The RU-vid algorithm dropping gems in my mind. 🙏🏽

I’m around half way through ‘meditations’ upon watching this. Honestly the most life changing book I’ve ever picked up.

That's no joke, a reason to shoulder your burdens and forge ahead. Powerful stuff.

That's one of the best videos I've ever seen on Stoicism. Thank you!

This video honestly has enough wisdom in it for a lifetime of practice

Oh Lord, give me the courage to change the things I can, the strength to accept those I can not, and wisdom always to tell the difference

No religion, no preacher , no church has ever given me these life lessons like this video. Thank you 🙏 thank goodness….#life #stoic #wisdom

The wisdom in this made me cry with relief. Thank you xxx

I have forgotten how many times I have watched this video. So profound!

The biggest and quickest change to make is to talk less. Especially to yourself even try supressing your inner monolog for a set amount of time. Eg 10-20 maybe even 30 min then drag it on. This has helped me immensely with focus since i have adhd. If your mind just refuses to shut up focus on the sounds around you specifically. You cant monolog to yourself and listen intently at the same time.

This is what I can teach. I do this every day for the people that know how to find me. But it's usually the ones that need me the most but also showing that they're trying to change. Because my time is very precious and I can't waste it on people that aren't willing to put in the work. Not that I wouldn't it's just there's a lot of people that depend on me and asked for my help. I preach this to my kids all the time, but also through my actions. That I will never start anything for them but once I see them putting in the work in the effort I will always help them, and I will actually end up doing most of the work for them. I just want to know that they really want it.

We need to listen to this multiple times for it to marinate 🙏🙏💙

*Stubs toes, inhales sharply, quietly starts this video.*

Stoicism is probably the most grounded and practical philosophy I know of. I love how it address the grit and reality of the world for what it really is.

WOW! I am blown away. Any words on my part, in appreciation in the presentation would be weak! I had known that these people existed but I did not understand there depth of there understanding. I am grateful for your ability and kindness for sharing this with me. My tears are for the truth reveled to me in my understanding.

Today this was just what I needed to listen to as I faced a difficult day. The day was far worse in my imagination than what actually happened, as so often happens.

A great blade goes through fire, pounding, hardening and tempering to become a worthy object, durable and reliable. Tested and True.

i have unknowingly practiced some of these in my life. however, im grateful that theres actually more lessons from the way of life i chose. thanks and great vid.

Hands down stoicism is the top 1 philosophy that I’ve incorporated in my life and I swear by this philosophy.

How long have I looked for this.... I have always practiced these but never really thought about where my values came from. Going to start reading these gentlemen. 🙏🏻🥰

Listening to it while covered in the warmth of my blanket :P

This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my RU-vid channel 3 months ago about self development. Now I have 229 subs and almost > 90 hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I couldn’t have learned without getting started in the 1st place.

What a valuable piece of knowledge in just one single video.

Thanks for this! It’s a great abstract of the most reassuring lessons of stoicism. 🙏🏻

Stoicism hits different

This was So so much better than I thought it would be. I am humbled , grateful and have thirsted long for something real. This is as real and immediately helpful as anything I've heard in my life. Thank you.

My man Marcus went through all of that shit, and still was like, "how do I respond like a real man?" Everytime. What a fucking sigma

Thank you immensely and endlessly for this summary. Note that Marcus Aurelius didn't write meditations to be published. He wrote it for himself. 11:40

Marcus Aurelius, from what I am aware of, did not write Meditations to pass it on. He wrote it as a personal journal, it was never meant to be public. I'm gald it was though!

Thanks for sharing this, its how I have always felt, nice to know I am not alone, its been here for ever!!

This is one of the best videos highlighting stoic philosophy I have ever seen. Thank you.

The person telling us this story and knowledge is a master and awesome person! You did a masterful job!

Wow that was awesome! Excellent work, brilliant presentation! Thank you for the motivating words of wisdom!

Thinking about the thing you don't want to happen will free you and inspire you, a jolt that keeps us in the present moment. Its the key to happiness that unlocks empowerment.

Probably one of THE most inspiring (not the usual 'motivational' stuff) videos on You Tube. Thank you for uploading.

glad to see ryan's content getting some love here

It is not about accepting hardship or resigning ourselves to it, but agreeing to work with it, to decide to make the most of it, to see hardship as an opportunity, not as an obstacle. In this way we can turn everything that happens to us into fuel, and we can be made better and stronger by everything that happens. - Epictetus

I keep watching this video every week... It gives me strength.

Thank you so very much for this, it's so very great and much needed inn today's world, thank you for your time and perception!!

This has given me an insight into what I should have continued doing instead of being caught up in fleshly desires.

That was beautiful. As I've grown older there is a prayer I've always known called the difference that is basically the first lesson.

I will not waste another sec , I will create a team that wants to see me successful as I see in them. Stoic isn't a bad thing at all !

This is pure wisdom right here. Happy to watch such videos. Books like marcus Aurelius meditations are good but a bit tough to read and fully comprehend, so grateful to summary videos like this.

Probably the best RU-vid video that’s out there

Great job Ryan. Love it. Format looks great too. You are a gift!

This is the most useful video Ive seen in years. Thank you for putting this together and thank you to RU-vid for putting this in my feed.

Amazing the simplicity yet the difficulty. Being human is work. Being on earth is an adventure. Overcoming difficulties is nourishment. If you keep moving hoping to move thinkiring the better of you through everything. That’s a tall orange der when it’s time to wake up. The second battle is knowing that I have appetites that need taming and extrication.

Just learned about stoicism, really loving it, ima continue to put it in my life, I’m 17 and college expense are gonna get hard. Inevitable

I needed this Thankyou

Focusing purely on what we can control takes time, but it is certainly worth it. If we're patient enough, we can turn our imagination around and direct it towards wonder rather than suffering.

Omg I cried listening to this it was so beautiful and inspirational

Every point made here is perfect. However, from my perspective you first must remove the blindfold that we all wear. Basically we are all creatures who have been programmed from the moment of conception to the present moment. We are PavlovIan creatures who make choices based upon past events. This means we have no “free” choice because the programming is doing the choosing for us. And, what we choose follows a repeat pattern. The real trick is to find a way to deprogram yourself in order to make a truly free choice. In order to accomplish this you must “own” the information by connecting the dots from the past with the present. I have done this in three areas of my life and it has worked wonders. I am in a position to follow and use the information provided in this video. Breaking from the past gives one that opportunity. Lose the blindfold. I wish everyone well.

Dropping the wisdom bombs, thank you.

I like how you just took everything I was thinking but was unable to put into words, and put it in a nice little video for me x.

thanks, Rydog, I came across this at the most perfect time, keep doing it!

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me - Shrek