1: The year was 1915. Deep in the jungles of Central America, two rival American fruit companies urgently wanted to acquire the same five thousand acres of land.

The challenge? Two different people claimed to own the deed to the plantation. “In the no-man’s-land between Honduras and Guatemala, neither company was able to tell who was the rightful owner so they could buy it from them,” writes Ryan Holiday in … continue reading

1: During the first part of World War II, the worst assignment for British troops was being sent to fight in North Africa. “Methodical and orderly, the British hated the grueling weather and terrain that wreaked havoc on their machines and their plans,” writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.

“They acted how they felt: slow, timid, cautious,” Ryan … continue reading

1: It was 1974. Major League pitcher Tommy John blew out his arm. He damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Permanently. They called it a “dead arm” injury. That was it. Game over.

But Tommy wouldn’t accept that.  

He wanted to know: “Was there anything that could give him a shot to get back on the mound?” writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way: The … continue reading

“At 150 miles above Earth in a spaceship smaller than a VW,” writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way, panic “is death. Panic is suicide.”

1: The art of not panicking was the primary skill required of the astronauts who were the first humans to go into space.  

Why? Because “when people panic, they make mistakes,” writes Ryan. “They override systems. They disregard procedures, ignore rules. They … continue reading

“What such a man needs is not courage but nerve control, cool headedness. This he can get only by practice.” -Teddy Roosevelt

1: Ulysses S. Grant was once sitting for a photo shoot. The studio was dark, so the photographer sent an assistant up to the roof to uncover a skylight. “The assistant slipped and shattered the window,” writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way. 

“With horror, … continue reading

The king believed his people had grown soft and entitled. He decided to teach them a lesson.

1: “His plan was simple: He would place a large boulder in the middle of the main road, completely blocking entry into the city. He would then hide nearby and observe their reactions,” writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.

What would … continue reading

1: The year was 170 A.D. Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of the Roman Empire, sat down to write.

Perhaps it was “at night in his tent on the front lines of the war in Germania,” writes Ryan Holiday in The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph. “Or perhaps it was before dawn at the palace in Rome. Or he stole a few seconds … continue reading

1: Earlier this week, we looked at how General Charles De Gaulle, one man with courage, made a majority.

“It’s inspiring,” writes Ryan Holiday in Courage is Calling.  “It’s also dangerous.”

What if the person is wrong?  Or an egomaniac?  What if their cause isn’t just?  

“This is how despots are made and murderous regimes are built.  This is how religious sects become doomsday cults,” writes Ryan.  One person “can just … continue reading

“What keeps you up at night?” Marine Corps General James Mattis was once asked by a television reporter, Ryan Holiday recounts in Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave.

“I keep people awake at night,” he replied.  

1: That is the answer of every warrior.  Before and since.  “A philosophy of offense.  Of initiative.  Of intimidating the enemy rather than being intimidated, of striking fear—striking, period—rather than being struck by it,” writes Ryan.… continue reading

In June 1944, more than two million Allied troops landed in France. By August, Paris was liberated. “It had been four long years in the desert, a darkness endured into a bright dawn,” writes Ryan Holiday in Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave.

1: “Paris! Paris outraged! Paris broken! Paris martyred! But Paris liberated!” proclaimed General Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the French resistance. Yesterday, … continue reading