Book 301 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: What Will Be Revealed When You Are Sliced Open?

Book – The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphs by Ryan Holiday (Part 2 of 2)

Book Description:

The book draws its inspiration from stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain or adversity with perseverance and resilience. Stoics focus on the things they can control, let go of everything else, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to get better, stronger, tougher. As Marcus Aurelius put it nearly 2000 years ago: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Ryan Holiday shows us how some of the most successful people in history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—have applied stoicism to overcome difficult or even impossible situations. Their embrace of these principles ultimately mattered more than their natural intelligence, talents, or luck. If you’re feeling frustrated, demoralized, or stuck in a rut, this book can help you turn your problems into your biggest advantages. And along the way it will inspire you with dozens of true stories of the greats from every age and era.

Reflection:

I thought I was finished with one reflection from The Obstacle is The Way, but I felt like something was left that I wanted to share with you all about my experience.

I wanted to share a note about my admiration for the author, Ryan Holiday. Ryan is an amazing example of someone out there in this world that is dedicated to living a life of values, purpose, and on a mission that keeps him fully engaged in this world.

Whether Ryan accepts or not, he is officially an honorary ClubAny member. This guy is a learner and an explorer of life not afraid to challenge himself and the world around him. My absolute favorite part of this book was all the book recommendations that Ryan shared that had influenced his own writing, philosophies, and shaped the actions that pave his path forward in life. He had a candid interview with Tim Ferris in the audiobook version of The Obstacle Is The Way in which I found out even further just how voracious of a learner he is. This dude devours books, not just for a trophy to sit on a shelf, but simply to learn. In the interview, he mentioned his website where he has shared 100’s of personal book recommendations all nicely broken down into categories and genre’s to point you in whatever direction you want to take if it interests you. He doesn’t spell out some reading list, give you some silver bullet of books to read to change your life, or anything else like that. He just shares what he has learned, why he found value in it, and lets you choose your own adventure. Sound pretty similar to some other project you may be reading right now, doesn’t it?

Well, I definitely appreciated Ryan sharing the elixir, so to speak, and immediately spent at least an hour filtering through a ton of it to find my next few reads. I found a few gems that I can’t wait to start and would never have found without Ryan graciously taking the time to share. Be prepared YOML reader for a string of Ryan Holiday recommendations forthcoming in the next few reflections. Apologies in advance.

At one point in The Obstacle is the Way, Ryan shared a question that struck me in a profound way when he said, “What Will Be Revealed When You Are Sliced Open?”

I don’t know Ryan Holiday at all, and I’ve never personally met the guy. I’ve also never read another one of his books before this one either, but after reading this book it is crystal clear to me what Ryan Holiday values in this world. I’m confident that I know what I’d see revealed in him when the unavoidable struggle that is life comes after him someday, if it hasn’t already.

There is a powerful, magnetic draw when you are in the presence of people like Ryan that truly knows who they are, what matters to them, and how they want to live their life. I felt the same thing around Emilia after only 1 day of even existing in this world. That girl knew what she was on this Earth to do and wasted no time before acting.

This type of living doesn’t come easy, but there is nothing more rewarding that I’ve ever experienced in my time on this Earth than living a purpose driven life guided by your values. Learn from others around you and don’t be afraid to figure out what lies inside of you. I’m confident you will find you like what you see if you are willing to put in the work.

Question: What will be revealed in you when you are sliced open?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - The Obstacle is the Way