Ryan Holiday ON: The Importance of Being Disciplined With Our Ambition & How to Get Comfortable with Change
May 8, 2023
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In this engaging conversation, bestselling author Ryan Holiday discusses the essence of discipline and its cultural interpretations. He delves into balancing ambition with well-being, advocating for kindness towards oneself. Ryan emphasizes the importance of personal growth through discomfort and highlights the necessity of nurturing relationships alongside career goals. They explore the journey of self-reflection, urging listeners to align their values with their time. With anecdotes and Stoic philosophy, this talk inspires a transformative approach to overcoming life's challenges.
Discipline is key to navigating life's challenges and achieving balance.
Embrace change for growth and self-improvement, turning obstacles into opportunities.
Focus on internal values for personal growth and fulfillment, prioritizing genuine progress.
Deep dives
Reflecting on Life's Unexpected Turns
Life's journey is filled with unexpected twists and turns that shape us. Through various experiences like family secrets and personal challenges, we learn tenacity and resilience. Embracing the excavation of long-held secrets and enduring ongoing transformations lead us to significant growth and self-discovery.
The Power of Self-Control and Discipline
Developing self-control and discipline is essential in navigating life's challenges. Reflecting on the concept of temperance and balance, understanding the importance of moderation in various aspects of life is crucial. Through practices like mediation, journaling, and intentional decision-making, one can cultivate self-discipline to make thoughtful choices.
Growth Through Adversity and Mindful Reflection
Challenging times offer opportunities for growth and self-improvement. When faced with obstacles and setbacks, embracing them as opportunities for practice and learning can lead to transformative outcomes. Practicing mindfulness, patience, and response to adversity can provide insights and enrich personal development.
Embracing Change and Finding Purpose
Embracing change as a catalyst for personal growth and transformation allows for deep introspection and a shift in perspective. Seeing challenges as opportunities for self-improvement and learning can lead to a more profound sense of purpose and fulfillment in life. Adapting to unforeseen circumstances and approaching them with resilience can lead to transformative experiences.
Accepting Reality and Transforming Challenges
The Stockdale paradox is explored, emphasizing the importance of unflinchingly accepting harsh realities while maintaining a proactive mindset. Stockdale's experience in a prison camp highlights the power of acknowledging the lack of control, uncertainty, and suffering ahead while simultaneously striving to find meaning and transformation in the face of adversity. This paradox underscores the necessity of facing challenges head-on, accepting the uncomfortable truths, and actively working towards personal growth and resilience.
Embracing Personal Growth and Authenticity
The conversation delves into the concept of pursuing personal growth and achievements driven by internal values rather than external validation or timelines. By shifting focus from external outcomes to internal progress and authenticity, individuals can maintain a sense of fulfillment and genuine success. The dialogue encourages embracing challenges, exploring new skills, and continually evolving, even if it means deviating from past successes or societal expectations. Prioritizing genuine personal development and contributing value becomes essential for long-term growth and self-fulfillment.
Today, I sit down with Ryan Holiday to talk about living a life of discipline. Ryan and I share our thoughts and opinions on the different forms of disciplines and how they are formed in different cultures, the value of your time and with whom are you spending most of it, and how to be more kind to yourself and make decisions that are more centered on your well-being.
Ryan Holiday is an author, marketer, and entrepreneur. He is known for his writings on Stoicism and has written several books on the subject, including "The Obstacle is the Way," "Ego is the Enemy," and "The Daily Stoic." He has also worked as a marketing strategist for companies such as American Apparel and has written several other books on topics such as growth hacking and media manipulation. Ryan hosts the popular podcast, The Daily Stoic.
You can order my new book 8 RULES OF LOVE at 8rulesoflove.com or at a retail store near you. You can also get the chance to see me live on my first ever world tour. This is a 90 minute interactive show where I will take you on a journey of finding, keeping and even letting go of love. Head to jayshettytour.comand find out if I'll be in a city near you. Thank you so much for all your support - I hope to see you soon.
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
04:25 What is the real meaning of discipline in different cultures?
06:40 How do you overpower your own mind and learn to argue with yourself?
11:05 Discipline has to be balanced with sustainability, rest, and so much more.
16:22 If you look at your life calendar, whom are you spending most of your time with?
22:05 All the things we want in life are accidental byproducts of getting big things right.
23:38 What is the hardest discipline you’ve ever practiced?
29:21 Optimizing your personal life will make other things much easier to manage.
36:25 It’s never too easy to sit down with your thoughts but you can learn to get comfortable with it.
40:22 Are you getting better at becoming a better friend to yourself?
44:14 We can’t control what happens, but we can control how we respond to it.
48:25 How important is it for us to go through something difficult and grow the muscle to overcome it?
53:52 Ryan explains the importance of making choices that derive positive benefits in the most difficult situations.
01:00:40 You are bound to get disappointed by attaching to an outcome that is not yours.
01:02:41 Different people have different ways of consuming information and we should respect that.
01:09:44 When you create a lot of valuable things in life, the returns may double.
01:12:05 Why should you allow yourself to become different things?
01:17:16 Don’t be a copy of your former self, continue to take a leap whenever you can.