Now, More Than Ever, You Have To Find This

"On this day of American Thanksgiving, we’re supposed to make time to give thanks, to actively think about that word which has become almost cliché in wellness circles: gratitude. But what is gratitude? Some people think of it as being thankful for all the good things you have in your life. Others see it as the act of acknowledging what people have done for you or what you appreciate about others. While the Stoics would have agreed that all of what those interpretations encompass is important, they practiced a slightly different form of gratitude."Find out what that different form of gratitude is, and how you can practice it, on today's Daily Stoic Podcast.***If you enjoyed this week’s podcast, we’d love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more people listen to the podcast, the more we can invest into it and make it even better. Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: http://DailyStoic.com/signupFollow Daily Stoic:Twitter: https://twitter.com/dailystoicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailystoic/Facebook: http://facebook.com/dailystoicYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dailystoicSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 📢 Share | ⚙️ Manage Subscription

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:06Ryan Holiday?

  Welcome to The Daily Stoic, where each day we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength, insight, wisdom necessary for living the good life. Each one of these passages is based on the 2,000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at DailyStoic.com.

• 0:29Ryan Holiday?

  Now, more than ever, you have to find this. On this day of American Thanksgiving, we're supposed to make time to give thanks, to actively think about that word which has become almost cliche in wellness circles: gratitude. But what is gratitude? Some people think of it as being thankful for all the good things you have in your life. Others see it as the act of acknowledging what other people have done for you and what you appreciate about others. While the Stoics would have agreed that what those interpretations encompass was all-important, they practiced a slightly different form of gratitude that was more inclusive and counterintuitive. It wasn't about acknowledging or being thankful just for the good, but for all of life. "Convince yourself that everything is the gift of the

• 1:13Ryan Holiday?

  gods," says Marcus Aurelius put it, "that things are good and always will be." The first word there is "everything." The other key word is "convince," meaning you have to tell yourself that it's all good, even the so-called bad stuff. Is it possible to be grateful for a year that has been as difficult as 2020, a pandemic that's claimed the lives of nearly 1.5 million people across the globe, that has produced layoffs and lockdowns? And then there are the wildfires, the hurricanes, contested elections, civil unrest, and horrible moments of inhumanity seemingly everywhere you turn. We didn't create these problems, but they did happen. And while they weren't our fault, it's up to us what we do with

• 1:57Ryan Holiday?

  them, what we turn them into, how we manage to become better for them. And it's that glimmer of light, especially with the passage of time, that will allow us to find something to be grateful for in the darkness of these times. In discourses, Epictetus says, "It is easy to praise providence for anything that may happen if you have two qualities: a complete view of what has actually happened in each instance, and a sense of gratitude. On the surface, much of what we're upset about or wish hadn't occurred is so objectionable that gratitude seems impossible. But if we can zoom out for that more complete view, understanding and appreciation can emerge." First off, you're alive. That's the silver lining of every shitty situation, should

• 2:42Ryan Holiday?

  not be forgotten. But second, everything that has happened and is happening is bringing you to where you are. It's contributing to the person you have become. That is a good thing. This understanding, Epictetus said, helps you see the world in full color, in the color of gratitude. The Stoics believed that we should feel gratitude for all the people and events that form our lives. We shouldn't just be thankful for the gifts we receive or our relationships with friends and family. We should also be aware of and grateful for the setbacks and the annoyances, for the difficult coworkers and the nagging in-laws, for the stress they put on us, and whatever other difficulties we might be experiencing. Why? Because it's

• 3:22Ryan Holiday?

  all of those things interconnected and interdependent that made you who you are and what you are today. It's only by seeing the totality of these things, good and bad, that you gain the understanding necessary to be truly grateful. It could be a terrible relationship that imploded spectacularly, but which led you to meet the love of your life. It could even be the passing of a relative, something that caused you great sadness but which also spurred you to build stronger relationships with your loved ones who are still with you. It could be the failure of your industry, which for all the loss and difficulty, forced you to finally get serious about that dream you have long deferred. All of these things are sad, and they may not even lead to happy endings, but they still define the course

• 4:06Ryan Holiday?

  of your life, and it wouldn't be you sitting here right now without them. As you celebrate this Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or any other festive gratitude-focused holiday, virtually safely remembering our obligations to

• 4:20Ryan Holiday?

  The common good in the middle of this pandemic, of course. Make sure you take the time to appreciate the moment and give thanks for all the obvious and bountiful gifts that moment presents. Look for the good within the bad, but be sure to be thankful for everything in your life, even the things you never would have wished for. Because it's in seeing the full picture, in seeking to understand it, that you gain the ability to express true gratitude now and forever. And I want to say thank you all for subscribing to the Daily Stoic, for listening to this podcast. It's been an honor and a privilege. It's been a crazy year. Who knows what the next week, month, or year will bring us? But I hope we can continue pursuing and exploring and studying this philosophy together.

• 5:04Ryan Holiday?

  It's been the pleasure of my life. I appreciate it. Be well, enjoy your family. Please be safe, smart, take this thing seriously, and I'll see you on the other side.