The Daily Stoic - When Are You Going To Be Free?

Episode Date: January 17, 2019

Most of us tell ourselves that we’re putting up with ill-treatment or keeping our mouths shut about our beliefs because we’re working on something big. We tell ourselves that we’re slog...ging away in this industry or that industry not because we’re big supporters of it, but because we need to, to get where we are going. We’re accumulating money or resources or playing politics to build up our base so that one day, some day, we can finally stand up and be who we really are.Marcus Aurelius reminds himself in Meditations that he could be good today...even though his first impulse is to put it off until tomorrow. That’s what we all do. In the future, we say, then we’ll be blunt and honest and principled. The problem is that this never seems to actually happen. DHH, who we interviewed for Daily Stoic a while back, joked about all the people in Silicon Valley who justify their 100 hour work weeks for dubious startups in order to get “Fuck You Money.” But for all the wealth in San Francisco...there seems to be very few people ever getting around to saying those words, or living that life.Shakespeare has a better line in Julius Caesar. His relations with the Senate are falling apart and it would be easier to lie to smooth things over, but he catches himself before he does: Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so farTo be afraid to tell graybeards the truth?This is an important reminder for each of us. We’ve worked this hard. We’ve accomplished this much. We’ve carved out these skills and built these relationships. For what? To keep putting off the day where we stand up for ourselves? To keep going along to get along forever?No. Now is the time. Now is the time to be good. To live as if we had the “Fuck You Money” or conquered enough of the world to tell the truth. Because there is no magic turning point. There is only the moment that we decide to be the person who lives those words.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, prime members, you can listen to the Daily Stoke podcast early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today. Welcome to the Daily Stoke. For each day, we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at dailystoic.com. When are you going to be free? Most of us tell ourselves that we're putting up with ill treatment, we're keeping our mouth shut about our beliefs because we're working on something big. We tell ourselves that we're slogging away in
Starting point is 00:00:48 this industry or that industry, not because we're big supporters of it, but because we need to get where we're going. We're accumulating money or resources or playing politics to build up our base so that one day, someday, we can finally stand up and be who we really are. Marcus Aurelius reminds himself in meditations that he could be good today, even though his first impulse is to put it off until tomorrow. That's what we all do, and the future we say, then we'll be blunt and honest and principled. The problem is that this never seems to actually happen. DHH, who we interviewed for Daily Stoic a while back, joked about all the people in Silicon Valley who justify their
Starting point is 00:01:31 hundred hour work weeks for dubious startups in order to get what they call fuck you money. But for all the wealth in San Francisco, there seems to be very few people ever getting around to saying those words or living that life. Shakespeare has a better line in Julius Caesar. His relations with the senator falling apart, and it would be easier to lie to smooth things over, but he catches himself before he does. Have I in conquest stretched my arms so far to be afraid to tell greybeards the truth, this is an important
Starting point is 00:02:06 reminder for each of us. We've worked this hard, we've accomplished this much, we've carved out these skills and built these relationships. For what? To keep putting off the day where we stand up for ourselves, to keep going along to get along forever, no, now is the time, now is the time to be good. To live as if we had the fuck you money or conquered enough of the world to tell the truth. Because there is no magic turning point. There is only the moment we decide to be the person who lives those words. If you're liking this podcast, we would love for you to subscribe. Please leave us a review on iTunes or any of your favorite podcast listening apps.
Starting point is 00:02:47 It really helps and tell a friend. Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to the Daily Stoic early and add free on Amazon Music, download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen early and add free with Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts.

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