Sometime around 300 BC, Zeno of Citium founded the first school of Stoicism. Zeno taught his classes at the Stoa Poikile (“Painted Porch”) to what could have only been a few dozen promising students. The stoa (“porch’”) became a place for individuals to gather, exchange ideas, and work on becoming the best version of themselves. There they were challenged, provoked, inspired—holding each other accountable to the philosophy they aspired to live by.
These students went off and inspired their own students—leading by example, by their published works, and in the case of a towering Stoic like Cato, by their spoken words. From Zeno we have a chain of inspiration that leads to Epictetus to Marcus Aurelius and the resurgence of Stoicism around the world, right down to you today.
The question for us moderns then is:
Where should we go to learn and teach and hold each other accountable?
A porch can only fit so many people, after all. But today, any of us can gather anywhere, at any time, and can share ideas and information in a way that the Stoics of the ancient world could have only dreamed of. Which is probably why there are more Stoics alive, today, receiving the Daily Stoic’s email meditations, than may have ever existed in all the ancient world.
But all these Stoics are spread out, thinly, all over the globe. Too many of us are on this journey alone rather than together.
For the last year at Daily Stoic, we’ve been trying to fix that. We’ve been trying to design a digital stoa; something that fulfills Seneca’s beautiful, timeless piece of advice.
“Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those who you are capable of improving. The process is a mutual one: men learn as they teach.”
Cue Daily Stoic Life, a place where that journey to self-improvement is powered by a real community, one bigger and more inclusive than Zeno could have ever imagined.
Studies show that we often become like the people we spend the most time with. If a friend of yours becomes obese, you are 45 percent more likely to gain weight over the next two to four years. If your friend smokes, you are 61 percent more likely to be a smoker yourself. The statistics are both terrifying and incredibly exciting. Basically: If you spend time with people who are getting better, you’ll get better. If you don’t, you won’t.
What we wanted to make was a modern stoa — a tribe — of people just like you, struggling, growing, and making that satisfying progress towards the kind of person they know they can be. We wanted to get those who are living the good life together—for the purpose of cultivating a dedicated community.
For the past year, we’ve been sending an additional 2 emails per week, holding quarterly Q&As with Ryan Holiday, encouraging one another on private message boards, and more. It’s been amazing to see the mutual support and connection form through Daily Stoic Life.
If you want to be a part of that, we’d like to have you.
For far less than the tuition to even one “Intro to Philosophy” class, as a member of Daily Stoic Life, you’ll receive daily practical advice, tried and tested over centuries.
How do you handle a difficult life situation? Where do you turn for further recommendations after reading an ancient text? What would the Stoic response be to the problem at hand? Who do you turn to for feedback on your takeaways from the day’s Daily Stoic email?
With Daily Stoic Life, you’ll have a community of people, from all over the world, there to answer these questions and more. A reservoir of answers from people equally dedicated to becoming the best versions of themselves.
You’ll also get:
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
100+ additional Daily Stoic email meditations
For everyone else, the Daily Stoic email only goes Monday through Friday, but the weekend is when there is the most time for quiet, thoughtful reflection. DS Members will get our emails all week long, with 2 exclusive meditations each Saturday and Sunday (more than 100 additional emails for the year). Each original email will help you cultivate strength, insight and wisdom necessary for living the good life. Every word is based on the 2,000+ year-old philosophy that has guided some of history’s greatest men and women.
Limited Edition Hardcover Book: The Daily Stoic 2018 Meditations
Members will receive a hardcover copy of The Daily Stoic Meditations: 2018. The book features our best email meditations from 2018 across 400 pages. This hardbound book is only available to members and not for sale to the general public.
The Daily Stoic Interviews PDF
An exclusive eBook featuring interviews with leading thinkers including Robert Greene, Nancy Sherman, Alain de Botton, Kevin Rose, and many more. The 120-page eBook will be delivered immediately upon sign-up, so you’ll have no delay in diving into these dialogues with wise men and women, statesmen, leaders, athletes, authors and philosophers.
4+ Hours of Audio Recordings
When you sign up you’ll immediately receive all our previous Q&A sessions with bestselling author Ryan Holiday. These sessions include thought-provoking questions submitted by fellow members and Stoic based responses by Ryan Holiday. These audio recordings cover challenges each of us go through every day and time tested ways to overcome them.
PRIVATE LEARNING COMMUNITY
After joining, you’ll become part of a community of Stoic thinkers in our dedicated member group. The group exists to take a deeper dive into Stoic themes, share reading suggestions, and other topics of interest. This is a great way to interact with other Stoic learners in a curated forum.
Access to a private, members-only, Facebook group.
Members will immediately be added to our new private, curated Facebook group. With dedicated and active admins, this forum is set up to create high level conversations around the most important topics in Stoicism. The group will have direct access to the full staff of Daily Stoic, including active participation by Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic. The group will also be a direct line to suggest future features on the website, requests on who we interview next, feedback on products, and any other ways to improve the community.
4 live Q&As with bestselling author Ryan Holiday (and guests)
Each quarter, members will have access to a live Q&A with Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle Is The Way, and more. This time will be dedicated to continuing the conversations started in the group and any other topics members have in mind. There may even be surprise guests joining Ryan from time to time allowing members to access to an increasing number of Stoic leaders.
PLUS:
50% off all future Daily Stoic Challenges
Daily Stoic Life members receive 50% OFF our quarterly ‘challenges’ (retail $30-$50/challenge). Each challenge is a set of daily challenges rooted in Stoic philosophy designed to help you implement productive habits into your daily routine. Each includes 10,000+ words of original content, exclusive videos, group message boards, and more. If you’re already committed to doing our challenges, Daily Stoic Life next out essentially for free.
10% off your next purchase from the Daily Stoic Store
As a final bonus to members, when you sign up you’ll receive a 10% off discount code to use on the entire catalog of Daily Stoic products. Members will also get news on new products prior to anyone else. This will often include limited run productions as we work with new and interesting artists.
TESTIMONIALS
“Thank you for the daily doses of sanity.” — Michele Tafoya. NBC Sports.
“If you don’t follow Daily Stoic you should!!” — Eliot Marshall. Mixed Martial Artist.
“Would just like to say, your emails have changed my life. I look forward to the emails, thanks and keep up the good work. I have been recommending you and will continue to do so.” — Conan Bujwid
“Absolutely love these emails daily. Fantastic reminders of how to maintain a healthy and valuable perspective on life and all that it throws at us. I am an impassioned fan of your work and community and am better because of the work you are doing! Thanks for bringing these brilliant ideas to application in the modern world! Keep it up!” — Ben Cook
Take charge of your own life. Surround yourself with those who will make you better.
Join Daily Stoic Life now!
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