Archives · MoveMe Quotes

Epictetus Quote on Prioritizing What’s Important

“If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters.”
Epictetus, via Stillness is the Key (Page 31)

Beyond the Quote (100/365)

In a world of 24/7 news coverage across hundreds of thousands of news coverage sources, it’s impossible to consume everything that is being broadcasted—it’s never ending. And because it’s always a race between news coverage organizations to be the first to broadcast, so much of what’s shown is speculative, shallow, incomplete, and, well, excessive. If you always want to know everything that’s going on in the world at all times, then turn on the news and scroll through your never ending social media timelines for every waking minute of your day. The crazy part is that you will be able to do it.

“Don’t reject a difficult or boring moment because it is not exactly what you want. Don’t waste a beautiful moment because you are insecure or shy. Make what you can of what you have been given. Live what can be lived. That’s what excellence is. That’s what presence makes possible.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 28)

“We want to learn to see the world like an artist: While other people are oblivious to what surrounds them, the artist really sees. Their mind, fully engaged, notices the way a bird flies or the way a stranger holds their fork or a mother looks at her child. They have no thoughts of the morrow. All they are thinking about is how to capture and communicate their experience. An artist is present. And from this stillness comes brilliance.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 28)

“Who is so talented that they can afford to bring only part of themselves to bear on a problem or opportunity? Whose relationships are so strong that they can get away with not showing up? Who is so certain that they’ll get another moment that they can confidently skip over this one? The less energy we waste regretting the past or worrying about the future, the more energy we will have for what’s in front of us.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 27)

“There’s no greatness in the future. Or clarity. Or insight. Or happiness. Or peace. There is only this moment. Not that we mean literally sixty seconds. The real present moment is what we choose to exist in, instead of lingering on the past or fretting about the future. It’s however long we can push away the impressions of what’s happened before and what we worry or hope might occur at some other time. Right now can be a few minutes or a morning or a year—if you can stay in it that long.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 27)

“Being present demands all of us. It’s not nothing. It may be the hardest thing in the world.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 25)

How To Write a Gratitude Letter — And Why Doing So Can Be So Impactful

Excerpt: Writing a Gratitude Letter is one of those small actions that can have a huge impact on a person—never underestimate its power. Good luck!

“As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.”
James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

Beyond the Quote (98/365)

The connection between careful and patient training and physical improvements is, in my estimation, much more firm than the connection with training and mental or emotional improvements. One of the main reasons for this might be that physical improvements are tangible—we can see the them, feel them, and are constantly being reminded of them. Every time we look in a mirror or take a selfie on our phone or see pictures that were posted—we are reminded.

“Each of us will, in our own lives, face crisis. A business on the brink of collapse. An acrimonious divorce. A decision about the future of our career. A moment where the whole game depends on us. These situations will call upon all our mental resources. An emotional, reactive response—an unthinking, half-baked response—will not cut it. Not if we want to get it right. Not if we want to perform at our best. In these situations we must: be fully present; empty our mind of preconceptions; take our time; sit quietly and reflect; reject distraction; weight advice against the counsel of our convictions; deliberate without being paralyzed. We must cultivate mental stillness to succeed in life and to successfully navigate the many crises it throws our way.”
Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 20)

Beyond the Quote (97/365)

It’s a fine line between reacting and responding; between acting then thinking versus thinking then acting; between needing to make a quick decision and not wanting to wait (or not having the self-control to wait) to make a decision. Crisis situations are going to call upon the full extent of our mental resources if we are to handle the crisis properly and in a way that is in complete alignment with our best intentions. The challenge, of course, is that most crisis situations have a strong sense of urgency attached to them that requires a quick decision to be made.

“Consistency beats talent. Consistency beats good intentions. Consistency beats luck. Consistency even beats quality.”
Unknown

Beyond the Quote (96/365)

**When does consistency beats talent?**

Well, you have to be consistent enough to bridge the talent gap. The fact that somebody is ‘talented’ in a certain area implies that they have innate aptitudes, abilities, or skills that start them ahead of you. But just because somebody has a head start doesn’t mean that they are always going to win. In fact, this is the basic premise for every underdog story you’ve ever heard.

Much love to all <3

Stop the bickering already

Your journey is yours.

“Our job is not to ‘go with our gut’ or fixate on the first impression we form about an issue. No, we need to be strong enough to resist thinking that is too neat, too plausible, and therefore almost always wrong. Because if the leader can’t take the time to develop a clear sense of the bigger picture, who will? If the leader isn’t thinking through all the way to the end, who is?” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 14)

“Stillness is what aims the archer’s arrow. It inspires new ideas. It sharpens perspective and illuminates connections. It slows the ball down so that we might hit it. It generates a vision, helps us resist the passions of the mob, makes space for gratitude and wonder. Stillness allows us to persevere. To succeed. It is the key that unlocks the insights of genius, and allows us regular folks to understand them.” ~ Ryan Holiday, via Stillness is the Key (Page 2)

“You may be sure that you are at peace with yourself, when no noise reaches you, when no word shakes you out of yourself, whether it be flattery or a threat, or merely an empty sound buzzing about you with unmeaning sin.” ~ Seneca, via Stillness is the Key (Page XV)

19 Quotes on Solitude from A Guy Who Spent A Year Alone in the Wilderness

Excerpt: That’s right! 19 quotes on solitude from Robert Kull—the guy who spent a year alone in the extreme conditions of the Patagonia wilderness.

“Happiness is simply the absence of desire. When you observe a cue, but do not desire to change your state, you are content with the current situation. Happiness is not about the achievement of pleasure (which is joy or satisfaction), but about the lack of desire. It arrives when you have no urge to feel differently. Happiness is the state you enter when you no longer want to change your state.”
James Clear, Atomic Habits

Beyond the Quote (94/365)

People think becoming invincible is impossible—I’d like to argue to the contrary. How do we become invincible? By freeing ourselves of desire. As soon as a want is created a vulnerability is exposed that can be leveraged—by others or even your own mind. Think about this in the context of a negotiation.

Stillness Is The Key [Book]

By: Ryan Holiday

From this Book: 66 Quotes

Book Overview: 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. 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.

Buy from Amazon! Listen on Audible!

Not enough time to read/listen to the whole book? Check out the 18 minute Blinkist version of Stillness Is The Key and get the key insights here for free.

Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

47 Deep and Insightful Ryan Holiday Quotes from Stillness is the Key
Herbert Simon Quote on Attention and How Eyes Communicate Priority (Beyond the Quote 280/365)
Ryan Holiday Quote on How Being Present May Be The Hardest Thing In The World (Beyond the Quote 138/365)
Ryan Holiday Quote on Leisure and Recharging Constructively (Beyond the Quote (120/365)
Epicurus Quote on What The Wise Will Accomplish in Their Life (Beyond the Quote 119/365)
Anne Frank Quote on Reflection and Doing Better Each Day (Beyond the Quote 104/365)
Epictetus Quote on Prioritizing What’s Important (Beyond the Quote 100/365)
Ryan Holiday Quote on Cultivating Mental Stillness To Succeed In Life (Beyond the Quote 97/365)

How To Write a Gratitude Letter — And Why Doing So Can Be So Impactful

James Allen Quote on Strengthening the Mind