Hey, prime members. You can listen to the Daily Stood Podcast early and add free on Amazon music. Download the app today.

Welcome to the Daily Stood Podcast where each day we bring you a passage of ancient wisdom designed to help you find strength, insight and wisdom every day 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 DailyStood.com.

Finns are one at the beginning. Here we are at the beginning of a new year. On the one hand today is just a day, no different than any other.

Yet there is also something special about today because we are starting the year 2021 and as the expression goes, well begun is half done.

In fact, the Stood Podcast would express it a little differently because to them the beginning was the only thing that was up to us. It was the only thing that counted.

As the philosopher, Democritus said, boldness is the beginning of action but fortune controls how it ends.

So much of what will happen in 2021 is not going to be up to us. Just as how much of 2020 was out of our control.

Nobody was expecting a pandemic. Nobody was expecting wildfires or so much of what happened.

But the people who had a solid January and February were in a better position than those who had delayed and procrastinated who would not take in the beginning of the year seriously.

What is put off until next week is more vulnerable to what may happen today or tomorrow. Remember that.

A stoic believes it is in their power to say begin writing a book but it is not in their power to determine how quickly it will come together or what the market will be like when it is released.

Whether people will like it or buy a lot of copies of it. A stoic will fight bravely in battle but know that the outcome is determined by so many other things.

They will run for office. They will start a business. They will compete in an athletic event.

But whether they will win. That is not up to them. Whether they give it their best, their boldest and their hardest effort.

Whether they start right now. That is up to them. And that's the message for today. In fact, the perfect message for today.

As we begin a new year and sit at the beginning of a new decade. All we control are the beginning of things. All we control is how we start. We control our first move.

Whether we say hello to a pretty stranger. But not whether they reciprocate. We can make the pitch or the apology but fortune controls whether it is accepted.

We can plan the trip. But not when or if we arrive. We control this first minute of the long year ahead. That's not a lot. But it's enough.

So let's do it right. Let's do 2021 boldly. Wow, we can.

And also some exciting news here at the beginning of the year. The Daily Stoke is 199 as an e-book right now. The UK edition is also discounted.

Plus, the Daily Stoke Leatherbound edition or limited edition premium leather edition is for sale in the Daily Stoke store.

...