In our culture, action seems to be the answer to everything. Why has it become taboo to put aside some time to be quiet and still? Cultural habits aside, this all too often overlooked practice can be an asset to your health and success.
That’s where Ryan Holiday’s latest book, Stillness Is the Key, can provide some insight. Regardless of where we are born or what philosophies we choose to believe, there is a common thread running through every culture: it is important to ground yourself, or, as Holiday puts it, “be steady while the world spins around you.” Historical figures, athletes, philosophers, and writers have utilized stillness as a way to center themselves and maintain focus. In their own way they have proven that this is more of a strength than a liability.
Of course, these qualities can be used in just about any field, and business is no exception! If you’re interested in introducing a new, somewhat quieter philosophy into your career and home life, especially during the holidays, then this book is definitely worth checking out.
Here is the summary on Amazon:
“In The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, bestselling author Ryan Holiday made ancient wisdom wildly popular with a new generation of leaders in sports, politics, and technology. In his new book, Stillness Is the Key, Holiday draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead.
“All great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes, and visionaries share one indelible quality. It enables them to conquer their tempers. To avoid distraction and discover great insights. To achieve happiness and do the right thing. Ryan Holiday calls it stillness—to be steady while the world spins around you.
“In this book, he outlines a path for achieving this ancient, but urgently necessary way of living. Drawing on a wide range of history's greatest thinkers, from Confucius to Seneca, Marcus Aurelius to Thich Nhat Hanh, John Stuart Mill to Nietzsche, he argues that stillness is not mere inactivity, but the doorway to self-mastery, discipline, and focus.
“Holiday also examines figures who exemplified the power of stillness: baseball player Sadaharu Oh, whose study of Zen made him the greatest home run hitter of all time; Winston Churchill, who in balancing his busy public life with time spent laying bricks and painting at his Chartwell estate managed to save the world from annihilation in the process; Fred Rogers, who taught generations of children to see what was invisible to the eye; Anne Frank, whose journaling and love of nature guided her through unimaginable adversity.
“More than ever, people are overwhelmed. They face obstacles and egos and competition. Stillness Is the Key offers a simple but inspiring antidote to the stress of 24/7 news and social media. The stillness that we all seek is the path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever.”
