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Welcome to the Daily Stoke. For each day, we read a short passage designed to help you cultivate the strength,

insight, wisdom necessary for living good life. Each one of these passages is based on the

2000-year-old philosophy that has guided some of history's greatest men and women. For more, you can visit us at DailyStoke.com.

If you want to look better, do this.

Epictetus said the root of beauty was beautiful choices. He was talking less of physical beauty, one imagines, than of beautiful human behavior.

It actually applies to both. A stunning woman whose looks are a result of her vanity and self-obsession will be rather unattractive when you get to know her.

A man with strapping muscles acquired through steroids and neglects of all other concerns is not really that impressive up close.

Beauty then is difficult to separate from the intention, from the choices that create it.

So if you'd like to look better, that gives you a good place to start in your choices, but also in your motivations and intentions.

It's the decision to get out of bed early and go for a run so you can be around to see your children grow up, not so you can look good in the mirror.

Do your makeup because it gives you confidence because the ritual of applying it is some quiet times yourself, not to cover your flaws.

Higher a trainer because you want to learn the discipline of weightlifting or boxing, not just because you want someone to tell you what to do.

Remember the Stoics tried to separate what was up to us and what wasn't. Of course, things can get between you and your goal, but nothing can stop you from getting started.

Nothing can stop you from making a beautiful choice for yourself today.

And look, the new year is almost here and that is a great chance to make a beautiful choice to live up to your potential.

It's also a chance to let another year of resolutions go by the wayside.

You know you deserve better, you know you're capable of better.

So what's it going to take for you to actually ask for it? When are you going to fulfill that potential that's just sitting there?

When will you make beautiful choices? How about right now? It's possible this year and we're putting it to you here.

Stop putting it off till tomorrow until Monday waiting for it to just happen. That's an ugly choice.

Someone has to choose it. That's someone is you.

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