The Daily Stoic

It’s not that the Stoics had no temper or no fear or no moments where their life felt unfulfilled. It’s that they controlled those emotions and replaced them with love. 

We think if we just make enough money, we won't have to worry anymore. We think if we just become powerful enough, we'll be free from feeling pushed around. Of course, it never works out that way.

Josh Brolin joins Ryan to talk about the childhood trauma that shaped him, the cathartic process of writing his memoir, and how confronting his past became a form of personal healing. Josh also shares how Stoicism has profoundly influenced his outlook on life, helping him navigate adversity, build resilience, and embrace the messiness of life. Josh Brolin's breakout role was in The Goonies (1985), and after a hiatus from Hollywood, he made a powerful comeback in No Country for Old Men (2007). He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Dan White in the biopic Milk (2008). Brolin is also known for playing Thanos in the Avengers series, Cable in the Deadpool films, and Gurney Halleck in the Dune franchise.

Life has a way stripping all our reasons bare, of humbling our plans and assumptions.

We never met Marcus Aurelius or listened to Epictetus lecture. And yet, do they not feel real to us? Do they not still inspire and speak to us?

The Stoics warned us about this endless cycle, not to condemn desire entirely, but to remind us that fulfillment doesn’t come from acquisition. The things we think will complete us rarely do.

Join Ryan Holiday for an in-depth dive into Stoic wisdom, delivered to a packed audience at Sydney Town Hall in Australia.

In his work as a performance expert, Steve Magness has discovered that to truly reach the highest level in any field, it’s the mental game that matters most. Steve joins Ryan today to discuss intrinsic motivation, the difference between confidence and ego, and the psychological impact of performance expectations.Steve Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance and author of Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform. His writing has appeared in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health, and a variety of other outlets. Steve’s expertise on elite sport and performance has been featured in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and ESPN The Magazine.Check out Steve’s new book Win The Inside Game and grab signed copies of Steve’s books, Do Hard Things, Passion Paradox, Peak Performance, and The Science of Running at The Painted Porch. You can follow Steve on Instagram, X, and YouTube: @SteveMagnessListen to Steve's first interview on T

The most important thing displayed in Andy Reid’s his office is not a trophy. Instead, it’s a simple 3x5 index card—now decades old—with a remarkable subdued message: “Don’t judge.” 

Perhaps you feel a bit like Marcus Aurelius did when he wrote in Meditations, “I was once a fortunate man but at some point fortune abandoned me.”

It’s easy to assume an Olympian would be all about external achievements, but Alexi Pappas has redefined what success means to her by letting go of goals altogether. Alexi joins Ryan to talk about falling in love with the process vs. achieving a goal, simplifying life’s decisions, and how losing her mom led her to seek mentorship everywhere. Alexi Pappas is an Olympic athlete, filmmaker, author of Bravey, and podcast host of Mentor Buffet. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and The Atlantic, and she’s been featured in outlets like Rolling Stone and New York Magazine. Alexi co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in Tracktown and starred in Olympic Dreams with Nick Kroll. She holds the Greek national record in the 10,000 meters and competed in the 2016 Olympics.Follow Alexi on Instagram and X: @AlexiPappas

The reason it makes you upset is because you expect it to be otherwise. Because you let it surprise you. Because you take it personally.

We’d prefer to be less hemmed in, to have more freedom, to have fewer rules. But we are made better for the constraints of life. Today's entry in The Daily Stoic: On Being Invincible

We have to remind ourselves, as Marcus Aurelius did, that no matter what other people do (or what other people get away with), our job is to be good. 

By supporting, encouraging, and influencing others, our efforts can live on. What matters is that we are the candle that lights another, which in turn lights another.

How does Matthew McConaughey deal with difficult people? What’s his approach to dealing with life’s red lights? And what advice does he offer to someone considering a major career change? In a live conversation at The Painted Porch, McConaughey answers these questions and more, while also clearing up some confusion on his viral tuna salad recipe. Matthew McConaughey has starred in Interstellar, A Time to Kill, The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club, and more. McConaughey also works as a producer and spokesperson, and is the bestselling author of Greenlights. He also founded and runs the Just Keep Livin Foundation to help kids lead active and healthy lifestyles. To receive weekly wisdom from Matthew McConaughey, you can sign up to his brand new newsletter at lyricsoflivin.com.You can follow him on Twitter @McConaughey, Instagram @officiallymcconaughey, and YouTube at Matthew McConaughey, and you can find his Roadtrip course at artoflivinevent.com/roadtrip

You want to achieve. You want to leave your mark on the universe. You want to conquer the world.

While in Vancouver, mom of four asked Ryan - "How do I achieve stillness while being a parent and juggling everything in my business?" In today's bonus episode, Ryan and his wife Samantha are sharing their different answers to this question, breaking down what stillness means to them and how they work to cultivate it in day to day life. Check out The Daily Dad Podcast for more episodes like this!

Marcus Aurelius didn’t always make the right choices. Neither will we. The important thing is what we do after we come to this realization, after we realize we’ve put something off for too long.Since we received such great feedback from the launch of 2025's New Year New You Challenge, we decided to RE-OPEN the challenge for February. Head over to dailystoic.com/challenge today to sign up.

How has Matthew McConaughey managed to keep his priorities straight while living in the spotlight? In today’s episode, he opens up about balancing family life with acting, treating life’s choices as experiments, and focusing on creating a lasting impact rather than chasing quick wins.Matthew McConaughey has an impressive Hollywood resume, including Interstellar, A Time to Kill, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Dallas Buyers Club. McConaughey also works as a producer and spokesperson, and is the bestselling author of Greenlights. He also founded and runs the Just Keep Livin Foundation to help kids lead active and healthy lifestyles. To receive weekly wisdom from Matthew McConaughey, you can sign up to his brand new newsletter at lyricsoflivin.com.You can follow him on Twitter @McConaughey, Instagram @officiallymcconaughey, and YouTube at Matthew McConaughey, and you can find his Roadtrip course at artoflivinevent.com/roadtrip