This Saved Ten Lives | Routines are Fragile... Try These 10 Stoic Practices Instead

This book provides a daily dose of Rilke's profound reflections on life, death, solitude, and the beauty of creation. It includes poems, excerpts from journals, and letters that span his life, offering a deep exploration of the human experience. Rilke's work encourages readers to embrace mortality and find solace in the transient nature of life.

This collection is a day-by-day guide that illuminates the path of a life worth living. It features gems of inspiration and wisdom from various historical figures including Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Lao-Tzu, Buddha, Pascal, Jesus, Muhammad, Confucius, Emerson, Kant, Ruskin, Seneca, Socrates, and Thoreau. Tolstoy considered this work his most important contribution to humanity, and it was widely read in pre-revolutionary Russia before being banned and forgotten under Communism. Recently rediscovered, it has been praised for its timeless wisdom and inspiration.

In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.

The Diary of a Young Girl is the personal diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager who chronicled her family's two years in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands. The diary begins on Anne's 13th birthday in 1942 and ends shortly before her capture by the Gestapo in 1944. It details her daily life in the 'Secret Annex' above her father's office, where she lived with her family and another family, the van Daans, and a dentist, Mr. Dussel. The diary includes her thoughts on her relationships with the people in the annex, her feelings of isolation and loneliness, and her reflections on the war and her own identity. It is a powerful and poignant account of a young girl's experience during one of the most horrific periods in history.

Seneca's "Letters from a Stoic" comprises a collection of personal letters offering practical advice on living a virtuous life according to Stoic principles. Written to Lucilius, a friend and student, the letters cover a wide range of topics, including dealing with adversity, managing emotions, and finding inner peace. Seneca's writing style is engaging and relatable, making complex philosophical concepts accessible to a wider audience. The letters offer timeless wisdom on self-improvement and ethical living. They remain a valuable resource for anyone seeking guidance on navigating life's challenges.

In 'Turning Pro,' Steven Pressfield provides a practical and inspirational guide for entrepreneurs and creatives to shift from an amateur mindset to a professional one. The book is divided into three parts: the first describes the addictive nature of the amateur, the second paints a vision of what it means to be a pro, and the third focuses on cultivating professionalism. Pressfield emphasizes the importance of overcoming fear, self-doubt, and procrastination, and adopting habits such as discipline, regularity, and a constant striving for excellence. He also discusses the concept of 'shadow careers' and the need to align one's work with their true calling for authentic fulfillment.

The Daily Drucker distills Peter Drucker's teachings into 366 daily readings, covering topics such as leadership, innovation, decision-making, and time management. Each entry includes a Drucker proverb, a teaching, and an action point to apply his insights in practice. The book is designed to inspire and guide managers, entrepreneurs, and business professionals in their daily work.

This book by Robert Greene provides a daily dose of wisdom, drawing from his previous works and including new material. Each day features a concise lesson and a 'Daily Law' that serves as a prescription for navigating life's challenges. The book is organized monthly around themes such as power, seduction, persuasion, strategy, human nature, toxic people, self-control, mastery, psychology, leadership, adversity, and creativity. Greene emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with one's early passions and maintaining a realistic and disciplined attitude towards life and work.

This book provides 366 meditations on Stoic wisdom, featuring new translations of passages from Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and other Stoic philosophers. Each day, readers are presented with a Stoic lesson explained in modern language, along with advice on how to apply these lessons in everyday life. The book is organized temporally and thematically across the twelve months of the year, making it a daily resource for practicing Stoicism.

In 'The Fall', Albert Camus explores themes of guilt, judgment, and the human condition through the narrative of Jean-Baptiste Clamence. Clamence, a self-proclaimed 'judge-penitent', recounts his life as a successful but hypocritical lawyer in Paris. His story is marked by a pivotal event where he failed to act when a woman jumped to her death from a bridge, leading to a deep sense of guilt and existential despair. Through his monologues, Clamence delves into the complexities of human nature, the inevitability of judgment, and the universal guilt that underlies human existence. The novel is set against the backdrop of Amsterdam and reflects on the broader implications of World War II and the Holocaust, inviting readers to confront their own moral failings and the inherent hypocrisy in human behavior.

In 'Right Thing, Right Now', Ryan Holiday argues for the necessity of doing what’s right, even when it isn’t easy. He draws on stories of historical figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Florence Nightingale, Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass to illustrate the importance of justice, kindness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty. The book emphasizes that justice is not an abstract concept but a daily practice that shapes one’s character and impacts those around us. Holiday challenges readers to develop their own moral code and uphold it consistently, providing concrete steps and exercises to help incorporate these values into their lives.

In 'When Bad Things Happen to Good People,' Rabbi Harold S. Kushner confronts fundamental questions of life and faith, particularly the conundrum of why there is suffering in a world governed by a benevolent God. Written after the loss of his son Aaron to progeria, Kushner argues that conventional religious explanations for suffering are inadequate. He suggests that God is good but not all-powerful, and that true faith comes from confronting the randomness of life. Kushner emphasizes that God does not cause suffering but provides solace to those afflicted, and he highlights the importance of community and human support in times of tragedy. The book offers a fresh interpretation of the Book of Job and has been widely read and translated into at least 12 languages.

Meditations is a series of private writings composed by Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome's greatest emperors, as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Written between 170 and 180 CE while on military campaigns, this work combines Stoic philosophy with personal observations on leadership, duty, mortality, and human nature. Through twelve books of intimate thoughts never intended for publication, Marcus Aurelius explores themes of self-improvement, resilience in the face of adversity, and living virtuously while accepting what cannot be changed.