We give up too easily With a simple change of attitude what seem like insurmountable obstacles become once-in-a-lifetime opportunities Ryan Holiday who dropped out of college at nineteen to serve as an apprentice to bestselling 'modern Machiavelli' Robert Greene & is now a media consultant for billion-dollar brands draws on the philosophy of the Stoics to guide you in every situation showing that what blocks our path actually opens one that is new & better If the competition threatens you it's time to be fearless to display your courage An impossible deadline becomes a chance to show how dedicated you are & as Ryan discovered as Director of Marketing for American Apparel if your brand is generating controversy
- it's also potentially generating publicity The Stoic philosophy
- that what is in the way is the way
- can be applied to any problem it's a formula invented more than 2000 years ago whose effectiveness has been proven in battles & board rooms ever since From Barack Obama's ability to overcome obstacles in his election races to the design of the iPhone the stoic philosophy has helped its users become world-beaters