Cage’s most famous creation, titled 4’33, is a composition with a twist: it’s a four-minute, thirty-three-second-long stretch of uninterrupted silence.Silence, doesn’t really exist;  what we think of as silence isn’t actually silent, because it’s full of accidental sounds. By giving people silence, Cage was helping them to start actually hearing.

What Is Silence?

There is a concept in Japan called shinrin yoku, or “forest bathing.” It’s a kind of therapy that uses nature to heal spiritual woes.

Bathing With Beauty

Writing can be a way to watch yourself as if you are a stranger, giving you a fresh perspective on your actions.

Why Write About Your Day?

The writers Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller once attended a party at the palatial home of a billionaire. Vonnegut asked his friend how it felt to know that their host had probably earned more that same day than Heller’s book, Catch-22, had earned in its whole history. Heller replied that he had something the billionaire never would: the knowledge that he had enough.

When Enough Is Not Enough.

Try picking up a pen and paper, be sure to face up to any tough questions that arise: <ul><li>Why did I get so worked up about this today? </li><li>Why do I care about impressing my coworkers?</li><li>How did today’s problems reveal my character?</li></ul>Honestly and thoughtfully facing up to these questions will make sure that you’re getting the most out of journaling.

Questions To Ask While Writing An Effective Journal

The Greek philosopher Epicurus had a good test for himself. Any time he felt himself being tugged by a new desire, he asked himself -“How will I feel afterward if I actually get what I want?”

Fight Desires By Asking 1 Question.

Tiger Woods’s story shows that the relentless pursuit of anything isn’t worth it if we damage our souls in the process.

Got Everything And Lost The Soul

Holiday, author of The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy draws on timeless Stoic and Buddhist philosophy to show why slowing down is the secret weapon for those charging ahead.

mindfulness

Mindfulness

health

Health

books

Books

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller & Wall Street Journal Bestseller In The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, bestselling 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 book, 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.

Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google, and have been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker, and Fast Company. He is the author is *Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator*, which is due out in July. He currently lives in New Orleans, with his rebellious puppy, Hanno.