Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast, where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical wisdom, and insights from parents just like you

all over the world. Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

Do you know the story of Cincinnati, the Roman general who had retired to his farm until he was called

to rescue his country from an invasion, made dictator in these desperate times he had unlimited

power which he used to save the empire, only to immediately relinquish the power and return to his

farm. Is the story true? Does it matter? George Washington knew this story.

It was almost certainly read to him as a boy, and he modeled his life on it. From a legend

came real history. It shaped Washington's life and the life of the country he helped found.

The same goes for the story of Washington and the cherry tree. Is it true? Probably not. But for generations,

children were taught this story and it shaped real lives in the country they lived in. Today,

we don't tell these stories enough. Children's books are all about robots and talking dogs,

or they are preposterously inappropriate totems for parents to virtue signal with.

History books as kids get older are all about facts. They're about punching holes in things

and showing how the heroes of the past were all racist or hypocrites. And then we wonder why we

live in a world devoid of courage, where irony reigns and inspiration is replaced by nihilism.

Of course these things are gone. There's only one way to get them back by telling your children

of Cincinnati. Teach them the legends and myths of the past. Show them what greatness looks like,

even if it's through the haze of myth.

Give them someone to look up to.

Getting to know yourself can be a lifelong process, especially because we're always growing and changing.

Therapy is a way of deepening your self-awareness and your understanding because sometimes we don't know what we want or why we react the way that we do until we talk through things.

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