Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller & Wall Street Journal BestsellerIn The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, bestselling author Ryan Holiday made ancient wisdom wildly popular with a new generation of leaders in sports, politics, and technology. In his new book, Stillness Is the Key, Holiday draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon … Stillness Is the Key, Holiday draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead.
All great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes, and visionaries share one indelible quality. It enables them to conquer their tempers. To avoid distraction and discover great insights. To achieve happiness and do the right thing. Ryan Holiday calls it stillness–to be steady while the world spins around you.
In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Drawing on a wide range of history’s greatest thinkers, from Confucius to Seneca, Marcus Aurelius to Thich Nhat Hanh, John Stuart Mill to Nietzsche, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self-mastery, discipline, and focus.
Holiday also examines figures who exemplified the power of stillness: baseball player Sadaharu Oh, whose study of Zen made him the greatest home run hitter of all time; Winston Churchill, who in balancing his busy public life with time spent laying bricks and painting at his Chartwell estate managed to save the world from annihilation in the process; Fred Rogers, who taught generations of children to see what was invisible to the eye; Anne Frank, whose journaling and love of nature guided her through unimaginable adversity.
More than ever, people are overwhelmed. They face obstacles and egos and competition. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever.
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We need to get used to focusing on what we want to accomplish, avoiding distractions and making sure that less important things don’t keep us from more important ones. We must put ourselves in an “operational mode” that helps achieve this focus; isolate ourselves from potential disturbances that keep us from entering a flow state in the activity we’re trying to complete.
Great book!
Whether you are an athlete, an investor, a writer or an entrepreneur, this little but wise and soulful book will open the door to a healthier, less anxious and more productive life and career.
In the world today the dangers are many — most notably, the endless distractions and petty battles that make us act without purpose or direction. In this book, through his masterful synthesis of Eastern and Western philosophy, Ryan Holiday teaches us all how to maintain our focus and presence of mind amid the sometimes overwhelming conflicts and troubles of 21st-century life.
Still one of the best books I know.
I listened to the Audible edition of this book, narrated by the author, because I loved his book The Perennial Seller so much. Stillness is the Key did not engage me quite as much as The Perennial Seller, but I think that has more to do with my mental state than the book. It’s a good read for anyone who is chasing success, or anyone whose life is intertwined with someone who is chasing success. Holiday cites person after person – from a wide range of disciplines and over many centuries – who discovered the key to success was finding a place of inner stillness. Finding a place of peace, if you will.
Years ago, I did some volunteer work for a delightful man who had been a missionary for many years. He was filled with gentleness, humility, and wisdom. He gave me one bit of advice during our time together that has stayed with me, lo, these twenty years, “Lisa, if you don’t know what to do, follow your peace.” I have made many decisions, none of which I regret, by simply sitting down and working through which course of action gave me the most inner peace.
Ryan Holiday has a way of giving us permission to take the slow road to success, and I see that as a theme in both of his books that I’ve read. I like the idea of taking the long view of life, perhaps even of having influence beyond the span of my life. If that idea resonates with you too, I recommend Ryan Holiday’s books for you.
Not my favorite Ryan Holiday book, I felt it was way too long, but nevertheless, he is a terrific and thoughtful writer. If you like his other books, you’ll enjoy this one as well.
Ryan Holiday is a national treasure and a master in the field of self-mastery. In his most compelling book yet, he has mined both the classical literature of the ancient world and cultural touchstones from Mister Rogers to Tiger Woods, and brought his learnings to us in terms that the frantic, distracted, over-caffeinated modern mind can understand and put to use. Highly recommended.
Ryan Holiday is one of the brilliant writers and minds of our time. In Stillness is the Key he gives us the blueprint to clear our minds, recharge our souls, and reclaim our power.
In this age of manufactured outrage and constant distraction, the ability to choose a focused inner stillness is arguably more important than ever before. Ryan Holiday’s book revives ancient wisdom that calls for a quiet life in a noisy and restless world.
Some authors give advice. Ryan Holiday distills wisdom. This book is a must read for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the frenetic demands of modern life.
Don’t be fooled. Within the pages of this unassuming little book lie a life-changing idea: that in order to move forward, we must learn to be still. Ryan Holiday has done it again.
Ryan Holiday is among the most psychologically wise writers I know. I’m a fan of all of his work, including this new gem, Stillness is the Key. If you struggle — as I do — to find your center in the increasingly noisy and frenetic world we live in, then this book is for you.
A compilation of the theories and teachings of ancient Stoica and Buddhists. Interesting correlations offered for present day struggles where time pressure seems to be inexorable. The author makes a cogent plea that contemplation is the answer for those hoping to not just cope but thrive in the frenetic present.