The Daily Stoic Podcast: "How To Find Peace | 8 Stoic Lessons You Can Start Today"
Date: December 14, 2025
Host: Daily Stoic (Ryan Holiday)
Narrator for Main Content: Katie McGurl
Episode Overview
This episode of The Daily Stoic explores timeless Stoic strategies for finding peace, particularly during turbulent times. Drawing on ancient philosophy and practical examples, the episode—narrated by Katie McGurl—presents eight actionable lessons derived from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and contemporary figures. Listeners are encouraged to incorporate these lessons into their daily routine to cultivate tranquility, resilience, and authenticity, regardless of external circumstances.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Setting the Scene: Stress and Seeking Peace
[03:31] Host (Ryan Holiday):
- Recalls the uncertainty and stress of March 2020—pandemic beginnings and personal upheaval (opening the Painted Porch Bookstore).
- Introduces the core essay—originally written during this turbulent period—on practical Stoic wisdom for peace.
"So I worked on this piece about finding peace … it's just like, wild to me to think that I wrote this in the days before the world basically shut down for Covid. But like so much of what's in Stoicism, it's both timely and timeless." — Ryan Holiday [03:31]
Eight Stoic Lessons for Peace
1. Don’t Suffer Imagined Troubles
[05:10]
- Draws on Seneca’s philosophy: much of our suffering is based on anxieties about things that haven’t happened.
- Encourages focusing on present, concrete troubles instead of hypothetical fears.
Key Quote:
"There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us. We suffer more often in imagination than in reality." — Seneca [05:16]
Advice:
- Don’t be “unhappy before the crisis comes.” Practice staying with actual experiences.
2. Accept Your Own Mortality
[06:18]
- The inevitability of death is presented as something to accept rather than avoid.
- Avoid fixating on prolonging life and instead focus on making each day meaningful.
Key Quote:
"No man can have a peaceful life who thinks too much about lengthening it." — Seneca [06:22]
Advice:
- Let the reality of mortality inspire, not depress. Appreciate life and abilities while you have them.
3. Remember Whose Opinion Matters
[07:18]
- Reference to Marcus Aurelius: prioritize your own standards over the opinions of others.
- In a world full of differing views, trying to please everyone leads to confusion and stress.
Key Quote:
"We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinions than our own." — Marcus Aurelius [07:21]
Advice:
- Focus on doing what you believe is right—be kind, patient, wise. Let that guide your actions, regardless of external judgment.
4. Schedule Stillness Into Your Life
[08:18]
- Stillness is shown as essential for a “well ordered mind.”
- The modern rush and dependence on distraction is contrasted with the Stoic value of solitude and reflection.
Key Quote:
"Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than a man's ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company." — Seneca [08:24]
- Viktor Frankl’s notion of “the space between stimulus and response” is invoked to highlight the power of pause.
Advice:
- Use spare moments for genuine quiet or thought, not mindless scrolling—walk alone, reflect, cultivate peace with your thoughts.
5. Find the Beauty in Everyday Life
[09:51]
- Marcus Aurelius is quoted admiring everyday details—bread crusts, ripe figs, aging olives.
- Appreciation of ordinary phenomena as a path to tranquility and perspective.
Key Quote:
"Observe the movements of the stars… such imaginings wash away the filth of life on the ground." — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations [09:57]
Advice:
- In moments of stress, pause to notice simple beauties around you—the sky, nature, shared human experiences.
6. Take the View from Above
[14:02]
- Zooming out to consider the universe and one’s tiny place within it can shrink problems to size.
- Reference to Michael Singer’s advice: “the moment in front of us is 13.8 billion years in the making.”
Key Quote:
"Think of substance in its entirety, of which you have the smallest of shares, and of time in its entirety, of which a brief and momentary span has been assigned to you." — Marcus Aurelius [14:06]
Advice:
- Regularly remind yourself of your small part in the vastness of existence; it’s liberating and humbling.
7. Live by a Code
[15:46]
- Marcus Aurelius’ rule: if an action or statement isn’t good or true, don’t do or say it.
- Adopting a code relieves anxiety by reducing daily decision fatigue.
Key Quote:
"If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it." — Marcus Aurelius [15:47]
Advice:
- Set and live by a clear code of values to bring focus and inner peace.
8. Reflect Often
[16:49]
- Reflection through journaling or examination is critical.
- Journaling helps “decatastrophize,” offering objective distance from one’s thoughts (citing Donald Robertson).
Key Quote:
"The unexamined life is not worth living." — Socrates [16:53]
Advice:
- Choose a reflection practice—bring awareness to your thoughts and actions for greater peace and self-mastery.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "Seneca's remedy is found in his letter On Groundless Fears... Some torment us before they ought, and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all." — Katie McGurl [05:28]
- "Humans have been dying for tens of thousands of years, and they will continue to die long after we're gone. But this thought shouldn't depress us. Quite the opposite. It should inspire us." — Katie McGurl [06:46]
- "If we decide to accept this framework, then we no longer have to spend time on the daily decisions that normally tire us out throughout the day." — Katie McGurl on living by a code [15:58]
- "By journaling and making it a point to not let anything that goes by us unobserved, then we can exercise the most important power a human being possesses: our reason." — Katie McGurl [17:43]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:31 — Ryan Holiday introduces the essay and context
- 04:25 — Katie McGurl begins: “How to Find Peace: 8 Stoic Lessons”
- 05:10 — Lesson 1: Don’t Suffer Imagined Troubles
- 06:18 — Lesson 2: Accept Your Own Mortality
- 07:18 — Lesson 3: Remember Whose Opinion Matters
- 08:18 — Lesson 4: Schedule Stillness Into Your Life
- 09:51 — Lesson 5: Find the Beauty in Everyday Life
- 14:02 — Lesson 6: Take the View from Above
- 15:46 — Lesson 7: Live by a Code
- 16:49 — Lesson 8: Reflect Often
Tone and Style
The narration is calm, direct, and rich in practical wisdom. Stoic concepts are woven with both ancient and contemporary examples, providing a warm yet challenging message to take personal responsibility for one’s peace.
Final Thoughts
This episode is a concise, actionable guide for anyone seeking greater tranquility. Whether facing minor daily stress or existential anxiety, the Stoic tools outlined offer perennial, accessible ways to reclaim inner peace—starting today.
Take these lessons to heart to get started on or continue on your journey for that inner peace we so desperately crave. It's worth it. — Katie McGurl [18:42]