50 Rules For Life

AKA High Speed Stoicism. Holy smokes, Ryan Holiday knocked it out of the park with this one. 50 rules for life, 50 concepts from Stoicism, bundled up in a package that needs to be slowly dissected a few times to fully absorb.

But first…

I’m a fan of Stoicism, pulling in quotes and concepts throughout this blog and every day in my life. Part of my morning journaling includes reading the day’s entry in The Daily Stoic, and, of course, I’m fan of Ryan Holiday’s other books.

What is Stoicism?

Here’s a primer to get you started. You may be surprised to learn that it is not at all about being emotionless, the common perception of the word “stoic.” Instead, it is ancient philosophy rooted in virtues for living a good life. It is rich with beauty, emotion, strength, and wisdom.

The Obstacle Is the Way

Sound familiar? How many times have I mentioned this concept in this blog? This is from Stoicism and has been my guiding principle throughout this epic hip and pelvis journey.

OK, now watch this…

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50 Rules for Life

Here’s the list version, although watching the video is far better since Ryan elaborates on each.

1. Focus on what you can control.
2. You control how you respond to things.
3. Ask yourself, “Is this essential?”
4. Meditate on your mortality every day.
5. Value time more than money/possessions.
6. You are the product of your habits.
7. Remember you have the power to have no opinion.
8. Own the morning.
9. Put yourself up for review (Interrogate yourself).
10. Don’t suffer imagined troubles.
11. Try to see the good in people.
12. Never be overheard complaining…even to yourself.
13. Two ears, one mouth…for a reason (Zeno).
14. There is always something you can do.
15. Don’t compare yourself to others.
16. Live as if you’ve died and come back (every minute is bonus time).
17. “The best revenge is not to be like that.” Marcus Aurelius
18. Be strict with yourself and tolerant with others.
19. Put every impression, emotion, to the test before acting on it.
20. Learn something from everyone.
21. Focus on process, not outcomes.
22. Define what success means to you.
23. Find a way to love everything that happens (Amor fati).
24. Seek out challenges.
25. Don’t follow the mob.
26. Grab the “smooth handle.”
27. Every person is an opportunity for kindness. (Seneca)
28. Say no (a lot).
29. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
30. Find one thing that makes you wiser every day.
31. What’s bad for the hive is bad for the bee. (Marcus Aurelius)
32. Don’t judge other people.
33. Study the lives of the greats.
34. Forgive, forgive, forgive.
35. Make a little progress each day.
36. Journal.
37. Prepare for life’s inevitable setbacks (premeditatio malorum).
38. Look for the poetry in ordinary things.
39. To do wrong to one is to do wrong to yourself. (sympatheia)
40. Always choose “Alive Time.”
41. Associate only with people that make you better.
42. If someone offends you, realize you are complicit in taking offense.
43. Fate behaves as she pleases…do not forget this.
44. Possessions are yours only in trust.
45. Don’t make your problems worse by bemoaning them.
46. Accept success without arrogance, handle failure with indifference.
47. Courage. Temperance. Justice. Wisdom. (Always).
48. The obstacle is the way.
49. Ego is the enemy.
50. Stillness is the key.

Thank you for compiling these so beautifully, Ryan!

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Thoughts?

Personally, I’m working on understanding several of these and how to work them into my life. “Make a little progress each day.” fits above all. I need to watch the video a few more times to fully digest Ryan’s 50 rules for life, perhaps swapping out a few that are more meaningful to me right now in my life.

Which of these speaks to you today? What concepts do you want to dig into further? Which do you not yet understand, or possibly even disagree with? The beauty of philosophy is that it is not dogma and is always up for discussion.

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