It’s sad that when we think of a philosopher we don’t think of somebody tough. We don’t think of a soldier or a skilled professional. We don’t think of a happily married parent raising kids. We don’t think of someone thriving amidst the chaos of the world.
No, for some reason, we think of an academic. We think of somebody scrawny. We think of someone whose life is mostly sedentary, mostly spent at a desk with their stacks of books around them and their scrolls in front of them.
No, no, no. In the ancient world, philosophers were warriors, athletes, hunters, boxers, wrestlers, and distance runners. They did hard things. They sought out opportunities to push their physical limitations. Socrates was admired for his ability to endure cold weather. Marcus Aurelius was a wrestler. Cleanthes was a boxer. Chryssipus was a runner. Admiral Stockdale played football in high school and at the Naval Academy…This wasn’t separate from their philosophy practice, it was their philosophy practice.
These were people trained in adversity. Some people did difficult things because as we’ve said before, difficult things are good for you. “We treat the body rigorously,” Seneca said, “so that it will not be disobedient to the mind.” We toughen ourselves up because life is tough. That’s what Stoicism is–physical challenges but also mental challenges and we subject ourselves to them so that, no matter what life has in store for us, we’ll be able to say as Epictetus said we need to be able to say: “This is what I trained for.”
Well, are you training? Are you seeking out challenges? Or are you getting soft? What picture of a philosopher do you present? Academic or active? Tough or weak?
Difficult things are good for you. Seek them out!
We should all kick off 2024 with a challenge. And that’s why we created…
For the last five years, thousands of Stoics from across the globe havejoined us in the 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.
Every morning, the email arrives in your inbox, and it presents you with an opportunity to do something difficult. To take on the challenge. To not follow the drift of least resistance. To get in the habit of seeking out difficulty.
These aren’t pie-in-the-sky, theoretical discussions but clear, immediate exercises and methods you can begin right now to spark the reinvention you’ve been trying for. We’ll tell you what to do, how to do it, and why it works.
Participants will receive:
✓ 21 Custom Challenges Delivered Daily (Over 30,000 words of all-new original content)
✓ Three live Q&A sessions
✓ Printable 21-Day Calendar With custom daily illustrations to track progress
✓ Access to a Private Community Platform
They chose to start the year by getting in the habit of seeking out challenges. Are you ready to do the same? Don’t let this be another year that you allow yourself to slide by on the easy path. A path far from your best life. That isn’t fair to you. It isn’t fair to those around you. Make 2024 your best year yet, starting by joining us in the 2024 New Year New Your Challenge!
The 2024 New Year New Your Challenge officially begins on Monday, January 1st. As a Daily Stoic Life member, you can enroll in this challenge for free! Simply click here and click “enroll“. Or, head over to dailystoic.com/challenge and use code DSLCHALLENGE at checkout!
