Stillness Is the Key

By: Ryan Holiday

Narrated by: Ryan Holiday

Instant number one New York Times best seller and Wall Street Journal best seller

In The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, best-selling 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 audiobook, 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.

©2019 Ryan Holiday (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"In this age of manufactured outrage and constant distraction, the ability to choose a focused inner stillness is arguably more important than ever before. Ryan Holiday’s book revives ancient wisdom that calls for a quiet life in a noisy and restless world." (Mark Manson, number one best-selling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck)

"The next Malcolm Gladwell. Ryan Holiday's just brilliant." (Lance Armstrong)

"Whether you are an athlete, an investor, a writer or an entrepreneur, this little but wise and soulful book will open the door to a healthier, less anxious and more productive life and career." (Arianna Huffington)

A framework for a balanced life.

Ryan Holiday is one of my favorite writers, and same for many of my friends and clients. All entrepreneurs or creators that strive to maximize what they're able to accomplish in our short time on this world. But what's beyond just the maximization of efficiency? What about the maximization of wellbeing? The mental health side of our VC/startup/side hustle culture is often overshadowed or entirely ignored. What if we applied the same strategic thinking that we apply to our work, to our wellbeing? Ryan is asking the questions here that are more valuable than perhaps anything you'll pull off a self help aisle. Because as I've seen time and time again, with my clients and even personally, it doesn't matter how successful you may appear to be socially or financially - no more money or fame can replace the feeling of intentional inner stillness in your life. Until you can hold ownership over your inner world, the anxiety, and stress, you are owned by the outside world. Please Ryan, keep writing and fighting the good fight, you inspire me brother.

Supremely Satisfying Synthesis!

I'm a long time Holiday fan but who cares? Urge your friends to read this one first. WOW. Gentle synthesis of the commonalities of so many philosophies and primary religions. it's as though the spirit of the universe is right here and inside a still river runs deep. Guided by Epictetus, Seneca, Buddha and Aurelius, we see Woods, Merton, Jordan, Cherney, Huffington, Lincoln, Kennedy... Stillness is indeed the key. Yes, I'm excited to write this review, but in so doing my centered, grounded, deliberate sentiments are delivered in gratitude. Quiet. Still.

Great book to a balanced life

Thank you Ryan for this clear explanation of key priorities for a balanced life in this moments of rush

Valuable Insights & Teachings

I found Ryan’s content a couple of months ago and have found extremely helpful. The pragmatism of his teachings as well as those imparts from individuals throughout history and across the spectrum of ideologies, sports, etc is really refreshing. Often times people teach very narrowly, Ryan’s stories weave a narrative that almost anyone can find something that relates to them and their life.
I highly recommend this & am probably purchasing the physical book as well. Thank you Ryan for your voice!
I appreciate it & our world needs to hear & embrace more like you redefining meaning & success🙏💟🙏

amazing read

This is an incredibly thoughtful book... Just what I needed to hear! Thank you Ryan for your time and effort in writing this.

Another winner!

He’s done it again. Another fantastic production by Ryan Holiday. Well written and well narrated. Highly recommend!

loved it

On the money... great book. have listened multiple times. also can pick up a chapter at a time.

Amazing

One of my favorites! This and Think Like a Monk will change your perspective. I highly recommend!

amazing

such a great easy read. I'll be discovering more of this author in the future

Unbelievable Book

Have listened to ‘Obstacle Is The Way’ and ‘Ego is the Enemy’ and now ‘Stillness is the Key’ and wow Ryan does it again.

Perfect book for the times we live in. Highly suggest it.