Stillness Is the Key

2019, Ryan Holiday

This is the second Ryan Holiday book I’ve gone through recently alongside Discipline is Destiny. I’m really starting to enjoy Ryan’s writing style. Holiday provides us with well researched examples of historical figures living out the psychological principles he presents to us. It makes for a really enjoyable combination of self help and history. I usually get the audio versions of these books which are read by Ryan Holiday himself. I find Ryan’s cadence to be inspiring and motivating.

The primary concept in Stillness is the Key is to take a step back and focus on what matters most. People working on big ideas are often accused being lazy or inert. A societal obstacle that they inevitably must overcome. Sometimes the biggest achievements are only realized after we reflect on legacy and the longer tail of history.

I personally enjoyed the detail of Winston Churchill’s daily routines. As someone who is obsessed with WWII era accounts I’m now inspired to read more about Churchill’s personal life. There is something majestic about the leader of the free world making time for a bath and a stogie every day. A useful data point to remember the next time you are trying to answer 5 emails at once.

And I guess that’s the point. Stillness is the Key does a great job of provoking us into thinking more about what actually matters and the people who have defended their right to be still enough to achieve great things.