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Don’t explain it, embody it
I think we waste most of our time rationalising our philosophy instead of living it. This is true with the new batch of stoics that are cropping up everywhere, thanks to Tim Ferris, Ryan Holiday, and others who have popularised the philosophy as an “operating system for life.” That’s not a bad thing at all!…
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Silence, not applause
The other day, I read the chapter on Gaius Musonius Rufus from Ryan Holiday’s most recent masterpiece, “Lives of the Stoics”, and came across this passage. It gave me shudders because as a person, a coach, and a stoic practitioner, I know it’s the ultimate truth nobody wants to hear. Enter Ryan Holiday: He believed…
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The good archer doesn’t always hit the target but always shoots well
Almost all my adult life, I’ve obsessed over outcomes and the processes. As you can imagine, it can get pretty stressful at times (and that’s putting it lightly). I once read Eugen Herrigel’s Zen in the Art of Archery and highlighted this: “Put the thought of hitting right out of your mind! You can be a Master even…
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Be Ruthless to the Nonessential
Everyone I know wants to be productive, and they all have one thing in common — a running list of to-dos they have to accomplish in a single day! I can’t criticise or blame them because I used to be one of them a few years back. But if you’re struggling with productivity and procrastination,…
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The virtue of “value”
Everyone’s got values. Unfortunately, most people don’t know what they value until they either reflect on it or work with someone to identify their core values. And I say this from my experience as a coach. It’s okay not to know what your values are. But exploring what they are is a worthy pursuit should…
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Dont’ talk about your philosophy, embody it
I’ve been studying philosophy for close to two decades now. And I say that not to impress but confess that studying philosophy has been one of the most challenging intellectual pursuits. The texts are hard to read and warrant re-reading at least half a dozen times if you would like to grasp the essence of…
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Building your routines around your practices; not the other way around
I’ve been big on routines and practices since god-knows-when. It certainly seems like I’ve been obsessed with some kind of routine or a practice since I was in 6th grade. Of course, my my routines and practices have greatly evolved over the years — I don’t do shadow batting practice or eat a bitter gourd…
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Why you need a coach?
There must be a gazillion articles and videos on why you (or everyone) need(s) a coach or a mentor/teacher for a fulfilling life. But this short chat between Ryan Holiday and Coby Karl in my opinion is probably the best testimonial to why anyone would need a coach/mentor/teacher in life. While it may seem ironical,…
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Don’t be a snowflake, be a stoic
Found this fascinating read on DailyStoic.com. It speaks to me personally as I do get to interact with a lot of (special) snowflakes every now and then. And although I’m far from being a true stoic, the philosophy is what I often default to. But like any other practitioner, I’m still learning and there’s so…