The Daily Stoic - Do THIS to Handle Chaos

Episode Date: March 9, 2025

In today's episode, discover George Raveling's powerful philosophy on navigating life’s chaos. With years of experience guiding top players and coaches, he reveals how to turn uncertainty into opportunity and transform life’s challenges into a winning strategy.🎙️ Don’t forget to listen to George Raveling's interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify📕 You can grab copies of What You’re Made For signed by George Raveling and Ryan Holiday at The Painted Porch. Sign up for George Raveling and Michael Lombardi’s Daily Newsletter, The Daily Coach: https://www.thedaily.coach/Follow George on Instagram, X, and YouTube: @GeorgeRaveling  Connect with George on his website: https://coachgeorgeraveling.com/🎙️ Follow The Daily Stoic Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoicpodcast🎥 Watch top moments from The Daily Stoic Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dailystoicpodcast✉️ Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? Sign up for the FREE Daily Stoic email at https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail🏛 Get Stoic inspired books, medallions, and prints to remember these lessons at the Daily Stoic Store: https://store.dailystoic.com/📱 Follow us:  Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and FacebookSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to the Daily Stoic early and ad free right now. Just join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Daily Stoic is based here in this little town outside Austin. When we have podcast guests come in and go, oh, what hotel should I stay at? Honestly, there's not really many great hotels out here, but there are a bunch of beautiful Airbnbs that you could stay in a ranch. You could stay on something overlooking the Colorado River. They've even got yurts in the woods out here. And Airbnb has a million different options, old historic houses.

Usually when I travel, I'm staying in an Airbnb. That is when I'm bringing my kids. We make a whole experience of it. And usually what I do is I pull up Airbnb, I look at guest favorites, I type in, okay, we want this many rooms, this many bathrooms, we want a pool, we want a washer and dryer, whatever it is. And you can find an awesome place to stay in.

And I've been doing it now, crazy me, at least 15 years I've been staying in Airbnbs, basically since it came out. I love Airbnb and you should check it out for your next trip. Welcome to the weekend edition of the Daily Stoic podcast. On Sundays, we take a deeper dive into these ancient topics with excerpts from the Stoic texts, audiobooks that we like here or recommend here at Daily Stoic, and other long form wisdom that you can chew on on this relaxing weekend. We hope this helps shape your understanding

of this philosophy and most importantly, that you're able to apply it to your actual life. Thank you for listening. Hey, it's Ryan. Welcome to another Sunday episode of the Daily Stoke podcast. Seneca has a thing about how, you know, what you want is not a large number of years

at the end of your life, but you want something to show for it. And he said, this is a tragic thing that a lot of people have but a number at the end. And one of the most incredible people that I have met in my life has both a large number of years, as I said, but also just one of the most unreal life stories that I have ever encountered.

And I am enthralled by it, and I've been asking him questions about it since I met him about a decade ago. And so about a year and a half ago, his son called me and said, hey, my dad's getting up there in years. You know, I know you guys go way back. Do you think anyone would be interested in doing a book about or for my dad?

And I was like, Mark, this is son's name's Mark. I was like, Mark, I am pretty sure someone would be interested. And I called my publisher and like a week later, George had a book deal. And it's sort of the, you know, the cherry on top of an incredible life. This is a man who, when George was born,

the life expectancy for a black man was like 34 or 35 years old. He has doubled that and more. And he's still here. And it's a journey that includes bringing Jordan to Nike and driving around Wilt Chamberlain when he was in college. And then it happens to include being on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington

and walking home with the I have a dream speech. He's someone I try to talk to every couple of days, someone who in the course of interviewing him to help get his thoughts down for the book, I was just pinching myself. I am so, so lucky. That has culminated in this book that George is putting out. It's called What You're Made For

and it's lessons from his incredible life. It's not a memoir so much as it is a collection of lessons from his story. And I was very lucky and felt very fortunate. And as I said, pinch myself every day that I got to sort of download this and help convert it into prose for him. And we've got some signed copies of it

in the painted porch, George signed them, I signed them. It's a limited run of about 500. Not many of them are left. So you can grab those. I'll link to those in the show notes. And today I wanted to bring you a chapter from the audio book of what you're made for. And it's a very stoic idea.

It's about, Church has this philosophy about how you create order from chaos. So that's sort of our job, to bring order to the messiness and disorder of life. And there's a bunch of stoic reminders in it. I asked him and the publisher if we could throw that together. And they said, of course.

Basically he's saying like, one of the things we're made for is to create order from chaos. And that's what this chapter is about. And I do hope you grab one of the signed copies before they run out or grab the audio book wherever audio books are sold. ["The Last Supper"]

To create order from chaos. When you see a successful individual, a champion, a winner, you can be very sure that you are looking at an individual who pays great attention to the perfection of minor details. Coach John Wooden. At 62, I was tapped to run the second largest division in a Fortune 500 company, Nike, despite having no prior corporate experience. Initially, I turned the job down three or four times,

convinced I didn't have the necessary skills or knowledge. For the first time in my life, I truly doubted my own abilities. I confessed my doubts to the executive who offered me the job, Adam Helfand, saying, look, I think you got the wrong guy. I don't think I can do this. I don't think I have the skill set for it. And I don't want to get too deep into this thing and fail and make you look bad.

Adam refused to let me back out. You're not getting out of the job, he said. You're staying in the job. Here's what I want you to do. When you leave the office every day, leave a yellow pad in the middle of the desk. And when you come in the morning, write down the three most important things you gotta get done that day in

that order. That day, do not do anything else but the first thing on the pad. And if you get the first one, then you go to the second one. That will put structure to your day, and it will give you a sense of purpose. Then he asked me a question that put it all in perspective. How many people do you think get the most important thing they have to do that day done every day? I thought about it for a moment.

Probably very few, I admitted. Okay, Adam said. So every day, put your notes on the pages and save them. And at the end of every month, you bring them in, and I'm going to go over them with you. That simple system ended up working wonders. It kept me focused on what mattered most and gave me a clear sense of accomplishment at the end of each day. Suddenly, this daunting new role began to feel manageable.

The structure atom provided aligned with my comfort zone, enabling me to tackle tasks effectively. With that framework and a renewed sense of purpose, I felt capable of handling anything. This experience reinforced a belief that had guided me throughout my life and career. One of our fundamental purposes as human beings is to create order and structure from the chaos of existence.

The world we live in is fundamentally chaotic and unpredictable. The path forward is rarely clear or straightforward. There are always obstacles to overcome, setbacks to weather, and unexpected detours to navigate. It can be disorienting and daunting. But in that chaos lies opportunity, the chance to forge our own way, to create meaning and purpose where none exists. This idea of creating order from chaos is not new. In fact, it's been a fundamental aspect of human thought for thousands of years.

I remember coming across a fascinating concept from an ancient Egyptian culture during one of my deep dives into world mythology. A subject I'd grown increasingly interested in, as I sought to understand different cultural perspectives on life's big questions. The Egyptians had a concept known as Ma'at, which represented order, balance, harmony, justice, and truth. Ma'at was personified as a goddess, but was also understood as a cosmic force that maintained the universe

against the ever-present threat of chaos and disorder known as ISFED. Do you have business insurance? If not, how would you pay to recover from a cyber attack, fire damage, theft, or a lawsuit? No business or profession is risk-free. Even the smallest business needs insurance. Without insurance, your assets are at risk from major financial losses, data breaches, and natural disasters. Get customized coverage today. Starting at $19 per month at zensurance.com, Canada's leading small business insurance provider. Be protected. be Zen.

One of the most powerful stories in Egyptian lore is that of Horus and Set, a tale that vividly illustrates this eternal battle between order and chaos. Osiris, the wise and just ruler of Egypt, embodied Maad, the divine order that kept the world in balance. Under his reign, Egypt flourished. But this harmony was shattered when his brother Set, consumed by jealousy, murdered Osiris and seized the throne. Under the rule of Set, the god of chaos and disorder, Egypt was plunged into turmoil.

The land turned barren and people suffered as the balance of Maat was disrupted. Osiris' son Horus was destined to reclaim his father's throne and restore order to Egypt, ensuring that chaos would not prevail. Guided by his divine heritage, as Horus grew, he understood that his destiny was to challenge Set and bring balance back to the world. The battle between Horus and Set was not just a physical struggle, but a cosmic conflict between Maat and Isfet. Set fought with unpredictable fury, while Horus relied on strategy and discipline. Understanding that restoring Maat required more than brute force,

Horus sought to outmaneuver his opponent. The battle tested Horus sought to outmaneuver his opponent. The battle tested Horus repeatedly. He faced setbacks, but always rose with renewed determination. Through perseverance and unwavering focus on his purpose, Horus gradually gained the upper hand. Finally, he emerged victorious. the upper hand. Finally, he emerged victorious. With Set defeated, Maat was restored and peace returned to Egypt.

This myth serves as a powerful metaphor for our own struggles against chaos. We each face our own set, the forces of disorder in our lives. Like Horus, we often find ourselves confronted by chaos that threatens to overwhelm us. We have to fight to impose order on chaos, to create structure and meaning from disorder. In our own lives, Set might take the form of unexpected setbacks, overwhelming responsibilities,

or the sheer complexity of the modern world. Our challenge, like that of Horus, is to remain focused on our greater purpose, to use our intelligence and determination to overcome these forces of chaos. The story of Horus and Set teaches us that creating order is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. It requires vigilance, strategy, and the unwavering commitment to maintain balance in the face of constant challenges. Just as Horace had to continually fight to maintain Ma'at,

we too must consistently work to create and maintain order in our lives. As we look at examples of how this principle plays out in the modern world, we can see echoes of Horace's struggle and triumph. I saw this principle powerfully at work in my friendship with Bob Knight. Bob was famous for his meticulous planning and attention to detail. He'd carry around a stack of index cards in his pocket, each one filled with notes and reminders, practice plans, drills, points of emphasis,

agendas for staff meetings. Even when Bob seemed to be acting impulsively or emotionally, it was all part of a carefully considered approach. There was a method to his madness, an order underlying his chaos. That lesson stuck with me in my own coaching career. I sought to provide structure and purpose for my players that extended beyond the Xs and Os of basketball. I developed my own system for creating order and imparting wisdom.

Before each practice, I would gather the team in a circle and spend five minutes sharing a story or life lesson. These weren't about sports, they were about life. I might share an anecdote about perseverance, discuss the importance of integrity, or explore concepts like empathy and leadership. After practice, I handed out articles for the players to read. These weren't sports articles either. They might be about current events,

profiles of successful people from various fields, or pieces on personal development. The goal was to broaden their horizons, to help them see life more holistically beyond the basketball court. This structured approach to mentorship allowed me to impart wisdom and values even amid the unpredictable nature of a basketball season. I wanted to create an awareness in their minds of other things in life beyond sports, which tends to dominate the lives of college athletes.

Years later, one of my former players told me he had saved every handout in two boxes in his garage. Coach, you know all those handouts that you gave out at the end of practice, he said, I've got every one of them. It made me feel incredibly good to know that these articles had made such an impact, that the players had taken them more seriously than I'd realized at the time. This innate human drive to create order out of chaos may be more than just

a metaphor, it may be hardwired into our very biology. In her book, Naming Nature, Carol Kasich-Yoon describes a fascinating case that illustrates this point. A British patient known as JBR, after suffering brain swelling from herpes, lost the ability to categorize the natural world. He couldn't distinguish between a cat and a carrot, or a toadstool and a toad. Interestingly, his understanding of non-living objects remained intact. This case and others like it, suggests that we possess a built-in

neurological mechanism for imposing order on the natural world. One that's crucial to our ability to make sense of our environment. The reality is that the world we live in is fundamentally chaotic and unpredictable. The path forward is rarely clear or straightforward. There are always obstacles to overcome, setbacks to weather, and unexpected detours to navigate. It can be disorienting and daunting.

But in that chaos lies opportunity, the chance to forge our own way, to create meaning and purpose where none exists. By imposing structure and order on the disorder around us, we can begin to chart a course through the unknown. We can break down big amorphous goals into tangible achievable steps. We can cut through the clutter and noise to focus on what really matters. This, I believe, is one of the highest callings of the human spirit. To be a force for order in a chaotic world,

to create structures that allow us and others to thrive and grow. It's not an easy task by any means. It requires vision and discipline, resilience and adaptability. It means being willing to take risks, to step outside our comfort zones, to bet on ourselves even when the odds seem long. But the rewards are immeasurable. When we embrace the challenge of creating order from chaos, we tap into a wellspring of meaning and

purpose that can sustain us through life's trials. We become architects of our own destinies, builders of something greater than ourselves. As you contemplate your own path and purpose, don't fear the chaos and uncertainty that inevitably lie ahead. Embrace them as opportunities to impose your own structure and meaning. Have faith in your ability to create order from disorder, to find your way through the wilderness of possibility.

Because that is what we are made for, to be builders and creators, to shape the raw material of our lives into something beautiful and meaningful, to create order and chaos. It is a challenge worthy of the best that lies within us. 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 would really help the show. We appreciate it. I'll see you next episode. If you like The Daily Stoic and thanks for listening, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

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