The Daily Stoic

Episode: BONUS | The #1 Way To IMMEDIATELY Feel Better
Host: Ryan Holiday
Date: November 30, 2025

Overview

In this bonus episode, Ryan Holiday offers a practical, Stoic-inspired approach for immediately improving your mood—even amidst personal and global turmoil. Drawing from ancient philosophy, everyday life, and personal anecdotes, Ryan encourages listeners to perform simple acts of kindness for others as a direct path to feeling better, emphasizing that these “small” gestures have profound importance both for the recipient and the giver.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Turmoil as a Backdrop (01:37)

• Ryan opens with a relatable story about his Thanksgiving break: his dog swallowing a battery, leading to an unexpected vet visit. He uses this minor crisis to connect with listeners’ everyday struggles, big and small.

2. The World Feels Overwhelming—What Can You Do? (03:57)

• Ryan reflects on the current state of the world:
  • "There's dysfunction and conflict and outright lawlessness, corruption, and cruelty." (04:03)
• Personal troubles compound these broader issues: family problems, health scares, daily annoyances.

3. The Immediate Solution: Kindness (04:59)

• Core Message:
  • “Do something nice for someone else.”
  • Ryan draws from spiritual and philosophical traditions, underscoring the universal value placed on generosity and kindness.
  • He recounts the familiar “starfish on the beach” parable to highlight the value of individual acts of help:
    • Quote: “It matters to this starfish.” (05:36)

4. Stoic Historical Perspective: Marcus Aurelius and Redefining Good Fortune (06:29)

• Marcus Aurelius faced plague, war, betrayal—“his whole reign was involved in a series of troubles.”
• Rather than despair, Marcus redefined fortune:
  • Quote: “Good fortune was good character, good intentions, and good actions.” (07:13)
• Stoicism urges us to focus on our reactions and actions, not external circumstances.

5. Changing Tradition: Charity Over Consumerism (08:07)

• Ryan shares his discomfort with Black Friday and Cyber Monday commercialism.
  • Instead of sales, Daily Stoic now runs a fundraiser for Feeding America on these days.
  • Ambitious goals were set ("What if we could raise $100,000, which would be a million meals?"), and after five years, over $1 million—10 million meals—has been raised.
  • Quote: “Did this save the world? No, but it certainly made somebody's world a little better, right?” (09:12)

6. The Personal Impact of Giving (09:26)

• Acts of generosity are transformative not only for those helped, but also for the giver:
  • “It made me and my world better. Because that's what generosity does. It also changes you into being the kind of person who does stuff like that.” (09:45)
• Ryan cites philosophers:
  • Seneca reminds us that “every person we meet is an opportunity for kindness.” (10:12)
  • Marcus Aurelius: “If you want to feel good, if you want to see good, you have to do it.” (11:02)

7. Actionable Advice—Local Solutions to Global Problems (10:20)

• We can’t control global events, but we can control our local actions and reactions.
  • Helping a neighbor, being patient with a stressed parent, checking on a coworker—all are significant acts.
  • "If you want to feel better, do better. Do more. Give. Like, give enough that it hurts and see how good that hurt feels." (11:37)

8. Current Food Drive & Call to Action (11:52)

• The 2025 goal: Raise $300,000 for Feeding America (3 million meals).
• Every $1 = 10 meals, and listeners are encouraged to participate at dailystoic.com/feeding.
• Key point: Even small donations or other forms of kindness—time, energy, attention—count.

9. Reflection and Gratitude (12:15)

• Ryan expresses profound pride in the impact of the charitable efforts, stating it surpasses even his book sales in meaning.
  • “You're going to feel best about what you do for others.” (12:22)
• Wrap-up: Encouragement to join the cause, forthcoming live tour dates, and a lighthearted nod to his dog Oreo.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Something that works immediately. Something that every spiritual and religious tradition has taught, but for some reason we keep forgetting, and that is: do something nice for someone else.” — Ryan Holiday (04:59)
• “Good fortune…was good character, good intentions, and good actions.” — Ryan Holiday, summarizing Marcus Aurelius (07:13)
• “It matters to this starfish.” — Parable (05:36)
• “Did this save the world? No, but it certainly made somebody's world a little better, right?” (09:12)
• “It made me and my world better. Because that's what generosity does.” (09:45)
• “Every person we meet is an opportunity for kindness.” — Seneca, cited by Ryan (10:12)
• “If you want to feel good, if you want to see good, you have to do it.” — Marcus Aurelius, cited by Ryan (11:02)
• “If you want to feel better, do better. Do more. Give. Like, give enough that it hurts and see how good that hurt feels.” (11:37)
• “You're going to feel best about what you do for others.” (12:22)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:37 – Start of Ryan’s remarks; personal story and podcast theme
• 03:57 – Reflection on the overwhelming state of the world
• 04:59 – Introduction of the “#1 immediate way to feel better”: doing something nice for others
• 06:29 – Marcus Aurelius and mindset shift on fortune and adversity
• 08:07 – Story of Daily Stoic’s shift from commercialism to charity
• 09:45 – The boomerang effect of giving: how it changes the giver
• 10:12 – Everyday opportunities for kindness; Seneca and Marcus quotes
• 11:52 – Call to action: 2025 Feeding America fundraiser
• 12:15 – Closing thoughts on meaning and impact

Closing Tone

Ryan’s message is inspiring yet down-to-earth, blending historical wisdom with personal vulnerability and humor. The episode is a relatable reminder of Stoic principles: control what you can, focus on character and action, and recognize the profound impact of small, meaningful deeds for others.

For more, visit dailystoic.com.