STILLNESS IS THE KEY
by Ryan Holiday3 min read | February 24, 2020
A doorway to a healthy and less anxious life using the practice of stillness.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

QUOTES ❝

"Paper has more patience than people." - Anne Frank

LEARNINGS ✍️

  • Stillness helps us resist the passions of the mob. It's the key that unlocks insights of genius and allows us to understand them.
  • Emptiness is the fast of the mind.
  • Quietness without loneliness.
  • Find confidence, avoid ego. Confidence comes from knowing that you have overcome worst situations than what is in front of you.
  • Don't feed delusions of grandeur, it's an obstacle to stillness. Be confident, you have earned it.
  • How much lighter will our baggage be if we are not adding at the top?
  • Of the 7 deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.
  • Others may hate you but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them and then you destroy yourself.
  • Never hesitate in front of a canvas.
  • The body keeps our score.
  • Time is your life, flesh, and blood that you can never get back. So be wary of where you give it.
  • Order the surroundings to match the order you seek in your head.
  • The gentleman makes things his servants. The petty man is servant to things.
  • Solitude - Sometimes you have to disconnect to better connect with yourself and with the people you serve and love.
  • Solitude is the school of genius and the crowded busy world is the purgatory of the idiot.
  • Solitude without purpose is a killer of creativity.
  • Sleep - Abusing the body leads the mind to abuse itself.
  • Leisure is not the absence of activity, it is the activity. What is absent is any external justification. You can't do leisure for pay. You can't do it to impress people. You have to do it for you.
  • When we take something relaxing (leisure) and turn it into a compulsion (escape) it's not leisure because we are no longer choosing it. There is no Stillness in that.

QUESTIONS TO ASK 💬

  • What will happen to me if I get what I want(desire)? How will I feel after?

TIPS 💁‍♂️

  • Sit still for few minutes and mindlessly watch your thoughts until something starts to materialize.
  • Try Stoic Journalling that will force you to reflect for a few minutes every day.
  • Have comfort in the existence of helpers like doctors, volunteers, social workers, etc.