B (9:48)

I lost his wife of 60 years, and it was sort of devastating. But there was a Marcus Aurelius quote that really lifted me, which was, don't know, literally, but you'll know it. You lose a loved one, honor her, and in a sense, try to be more like her, and then she'll live in your actions. And so my wife was very good, and. And I. I just try to be like her. And when I try to be like her, I. You know, like, she was very. If someone was alone or sick or something, she'd call them up and be comforting to them. And I'm not like that, you know, So I started to do that. People that I. I know, some guys my age who have no grandchildren are just there and call them up and say, how are you? And being like her? And they were so pleased, and so it's so kind. And I keep my wife in my life with Marcus Aurelius advice by trying to be more like her.

A (10:51)

You know, I think that's beautiful. I think that has a lot to teach us, and I think it's closer to what it means when we say that the obstacle is the way. It's something I try to apply in my own life, practically in my business and creative life, but also in the difficulties of my own life. And the last 10 years since the obstacle came out have been wonderful to me in many ways. I'd also say it's been a lot. It's probably been a lot for you, too, right? There were natural disasters and floods and fires. We opened this bookstore in the middle of the pandemic. Then there was a terrible storm that knocked out the power for several days and necessitated replacing the roof as water came pouring in. There was a long drought. That's ravaged the ranch that I live on. Of course, the pandemic, you know, lasted for many years and nearly killed the bookstore before it opened. I've had disputes with business partners. I had an employee who was caught embezzling. There were funerals and late night phone calls with news that you don't want to get. The company that I started at went bankrupt and it took not just a big chunk of my resume, but what was supposed to be several years of salary in stock options that I had earned. There was a falling out with family. There were hundreds of thousands of miles on the road as I traveled and worked. There was getting skunked on bestseller lists. There were creative differences. There was daily battles with procrastination. There was just life, right? Life is not easy. Life does not go the way we want it to go.

C (12:38)

Foreign.

A (12:43)

You'Ve probably heard of eight Sleep by now because I talk about it all the time. I woke up on my eight Sleep mattress pad this morning and I've slept on one for years. Eight Sleep is a company that is about improving your sleep and they have dramatically improved mine. The Pod 5 is the newest generation of Eight Sleep's signature product, the Pod, which is a smart mattress cover that you put right on top of your existing mattress. Their results are hour of additional quality sleep per night. Eight Sleep also just came out with their new Pod pillow cover. It syncs with your Pod system and automatically adjusts your head and neck temperature in real time based on your sleep patterns. And like the mattress cover, you slip it over any pillow you already love. Just head over to eightsleep.com dailystoicnow and use code DAILYSTOIC to get $350 off your very own Pod 5 Ultra. And the best part is you still get 30 days to try it at home and return it if you don't like it. I think you'll love it. Your body will thank you for this investment in better sleep. Eight Sleep ships to many countries worldwide and you can see all the details@eightsleep.com Daily Stoic I remember in the early days of the Pandemic as the bookstore project went from this fun, exciting thing to a daily nightmare. In many ways. I wrote myself a note along these lines. I wrote 2020 is a test. Will it make you a better person or a worse one? That's what it means when we say the obstacle is the way whether the business would work or not, whether things would turn around or not, whether it would turn a profit or not. In some ways that was all dependent on things outside of my control, but who I was, whether I stayed true to what I believed, whether I grew and changed and learned from this experience, that's what the obstacle is the way means. And look, I think spending the time that I've spent on this Stoic Virtue series I started in 2019, a series on these cardinal virtues I did Courage is calling and then discipline is destiny and right thing right now. And I just finished and am putting out Wisdom Tate's work. I think I've come to more fully understand what the Stoics were talking about, what they were getting at when they said, the obstacle is the way life is. Always demanding one of these virtues from us, always demanding that we try to be a good person despite the bad things that have happened, telling us that we must be good in a world despite the bad things that have befallen us. And then also in good times, in the face of temptations and distractions, as well as the responsibility and obligations and obstacles again, that come with success and abundance, we have to be humble, we have to be disciplined, we have to be decent, we have to be generous. We have to stay true to our values. That's, again, what this idea means. Like, when I look at the world right now and I'm frustrated or alarmed by it, what I try to remind myself is that moments like these demand virtue from us. It's not how I would have chosen things to go, it's not how I want them to be. But I do choose how I respond to them. Here it is, right? And what are we going to do about it? Who are we going to be inside of it? Is this going to make you better or worse? That's the decision that we get to make. And I think a lot of this comes down to the ideas, to this virtue of wisdom, right? To be able to see it that way, to be able to understand and discern when and where to apply courage, how much discipline is required in a given situation, what is the right balance? And of course, to what ends are we applying courage and discipline? That's what justice is about. It's bittersweet. Finishing the series. Of course, when Gibbon finished the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he talked about the sadness he felt taking leave of an old friend and companion. I don't feel exactly the same way finishing this series, because virtue isn't something that you ever finish or take leave of. But there is something strange about finishing it. But I know I'm better for having written it. The more we think about virtue, the more we apply it. The better we become. Not just creatively, but personally. If I was starting this series again, I would do certain things differently. That's part of wisdom, is you reflect back on the new things you've learned and you see how you would apply them differently and then hopefully you apply that differently in the future. But I will say that taking this deeper understanding of what it means to say the obstacle is the way, I notice that I am calmer, I am quieter, I argue less, I get upset less, I admit I am wrong more often. There's still a long way to go, and each new challenge challenges us in new ways. But I'm proud of the progress that I've made. And that's what the ancients wanted us to understand about virtue, that virtue wasn't a thing that you're born with, it was a kind of a craft, a thing that you get better at as you go. Aristotle says we become builders by building and we become herpists by playing the harp. He says similarly, we become just by doing just actions, temperate by doing temperate actions, and brave by doing brave actions. Virtue is a craft. So, yeah, sure, maybe it starts in the professional world. How do you get a little better at responding to bad news? How do you get a little better at taking advantage from seemingly frustrating or disappointing situations? How do you find the opportunities that others are missing? But then you gotta apply it at this deeper level. You gotta apply it to those truly challenging, truly life altering situations, the ones that at the surface level, it doesn't feel like there could ever be anything good in them, that feel devastating, that take you away from people or people away from you, that really scare you, that really rattle you. But in how we respond, we can make something of them. And that's the one part of life that we control. And that's what stoicism is ultimately about. Responding well to life, to the world, to unpredictability, to setbacks, to injustices, to problems and everything we're going to experience. To respond well means to respond with virtue, to turn the obstacle into the way, to turn adversity into advantage. That's what we're doing and that's what I understand now about what Marcus Aurelius meant 2000 years ago. Thanks so much for listening. If you could rate this podcast and leave a review on itunes, that would mean so much to us and it would really help the show. We appreciate it and I'll see you next episode. The world is full of tours, but.

C (20:13)

You don't choose a Toyota truck to.

A (20:15)

Follow the beaten path. You choose it to find the places in between the detours, where each adventure pulls you toward the next and wrong turns to the right. So why would you ever take a tour when you could take a detour?

C (20:36)

Toyota Trucks My family owns a 2023 Toyota 4Runner, and honestly, it's my favorite vehicle that I've ever owned around town. It's smooth and reliable, but where it really shines is on our trips into the backcountry. We've taken it on backpacking adventures to Colorado, New Mexico, loaded up with gear and never had to think twice about whether it could handle the terrain. That's what Toyota Trucks are built for off road confidence, rugged durability, and the freedom to explore. Toyota has a long history with the outdoor community, and they're committed to helping more people get out there and experience what nature has to offer. From remote trails to scenic byways, Toyota Trucks empowers you to take the detour, roam freely, and discover places that still feel wild and untouched. And they're not just making great trucks. They're working to expand access to adventure so more people can connect with the outdoors and pass that passion on to the next generation. Discover your uncharted territory. Learn more@toyota.com trucks adventure detours that's toyota.com trucks adventure detours.