
About this episode
Dwight Eisenhower gave himself the order.
Quit smoking.
It had become a 4-pack-a-day habit. It had been part of his life for nearly 40 years. It was comfortable. It was more than a habit, it was an addiction. His health hung in the balance, his doctor said, his ability to serve at risk. So, after nearly four decades of smoking, he made the decision to quit, cold turkey.
“The only way to stop is to stop,” Eisenhower would tell an aide, “and I stopped.”
This story is in Discipline is Destiny. It's also the basis of one of the best days in the upcoming 2024 Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge. Because the Stoics were big on the idea of quitting cold turkey, of quitting anything that has a pull over us. “No man is free who is not master of himself,” Epictetus tells us.
-
And with today's meditation on the day's Daily Journal excerpt, Ryan reminds us to take charge and stake your own claim, that the ones who pioneered this wisdom are not our masters but our guide. And For the last five years, we have been doing what we call the Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge—a set of 21 actionable challenges, presented one per day, built around the best, most timeless wisdom in Stoic philosophy. 21 challenges designed to set you up to be able to say, whatever happens in 2024 and beyond, this is precisely what I trained for.. Demand more of yourself in 2024. Prepare for whatever is ahead. Head over todailystoic.com/challengeand sign up NOW!
✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail
🏛 Check out the Daily Stoic Store for Stoic inspired products, signed books, and more.
📱 Follow us: Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Get every episode summarized
Each time The Daily Stoic publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from The Daily Stoic

You Must Read To Lead | 10 Stoic Strategies To Deal With Anxiety
The Daily Stoic

BONUS | 3 Life-Changing Lessons From Seneca in 3 Minutes
The Daily Stoic

You’re in a Hurry and Don’t Know Why | A Hard Winter Training
The Daily Stoic

The Moment Ryan’s Italy Trip Went Sideways
The Daily Stoic