Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

This book flection is written and narrated by Leigh Martinuzzi 

Ryan Holiday is the best-selling author of two remarkable books, Ego is the Enemy and The Obstacle Is the Way. Both of which have been read and reviewed on The Hidden Why previously. He encapsulates mostly Stoic wisdom into much of his work and he has a daily blog about Stoicism and other life philosophy. Check out The Daily Stoic dot com.   I’ve just started to enjoy more of his work there.

Stillness Is the Key is a book that incorporates timeless life principles and philosophy with the attempt to highlight why and how a successful life can be achieved by slowing down as opposed to the cluster fuck affair life otherwise throws at us. He blends Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to do this. It’s not about doing nothing, rather, it’s about being calm, steady and clear so that you can tackle life with greater focus, discipline while staying aligned with what’s necessary and important to you. 

There have been many books written recently about mindfulness and meditation and yet gratefully upon reading the first few chapters, this is not one of those books. I am not opposed to mindfulness practices or books to show the various practices, I just feel it’s been overdone. Instead, Ryan shares timeless wisdom around why stillness is the secret weapon to elite performance, creativity, and happiness. Drawing not only on stories from past Stoic leaders but also from the likes of athletes, artists, political and spiritual leaders.

In the preface, Holiday highlights how it is impossible to find any school of philosophy or religion that doesn’t value the nature of stillness. With all of them in their own right referring to stillness as the key to performance and happiness. That being the case, perhaps we should listen. In a world that is possessed with pace, rapid progression, noise, movement, clutter, chaos and busyness, stillness couldn’t be more timely. 

Holiday draws on many definitions of stillness from various texts however I believe the below exert taken from the book summaries it the best. 

Stillness: To be steady while the world spins. To act without frenzy. To hear only what needs to be heard. To possess quietude – exterior and interior – on command. 

There are three main parts to the book, Mind, Spirit and Body – the head, the heart, and the flesh. In each of these parts, Holiday delivers short and punchy chapters of wisdom and practices on how we can improve stillness within. For example, for the Mind, he talks on why lowing inputs is a good idea in slowing the mind and why journaling can clear the head. In the section on Spirit Holiday talks on virtue, desire, relationships and nature. And in the final part on Body, he writes the importance of movement, solitude, routine among other things. 

I’ve become a big fan of Holiday’s writing. It is clear, precise, easy to understand and insightful. It truly gets one thinking. For most of what he has written in these pages is not new or hard to grasp. It is almost common sense and yet I and I am sure many of us are guilty of bypassing many of these practise and ways of life to our detriment. While I am not entirely clear or still now, it has given me much to think about moving forward into a New Year. My goal is to become more still in efforts to enjoy life to a higher level and to find a deeper sense of happiness. 

If this book sounds of interest you can purchase Stillness Is the Key here.

Please leave your thoughts, comments & questions below.

Peace, passion and purpose…

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