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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 DailyStoic.com.

This is the most impressive thing. In meditations, we have Marcus Aurelius writing notes to himself about who he wanted to be, what he expected of himself.

In one section, he writes about how he never wants to be overheard complaining, not even to himself. In another book, he talks about greeting death cheerfully, bravely, because what choice do we have?

But as we've said before to talk about something is one thing to do it is another. That's what makes Marcus Aurelius actually so inspiring.

Meditations is his private journal, one he never expected anyone to read. He could have complained to himself and gotten away with it, and he had much to complain about.

But the book is devoid of any of this self-pity. When Marcus felt ill and near death, it would have been perfectly reasonable for him to be scared, to be sad, to be bitter.

But we know from the historical record that he was brave. He cheered up his weeping friends. He thought only of preparing the empire for transition. He went peacefully to the other side.

Yesterday, we talked about how Seneca wrote beautifully about stoicism, but failed sometimes to live up to it.

What makes Marcus Aurelius so impressive is that he more or less did live up to his beautiful writings. He didn't just talk about his philosophy, he embodied it.

In that he is such an inspiring example, a called us to follow in his footsteps. And in my new book, Lives of the Stokes, we studied and wrote the life of not just Marcus Aurelius, but 25 other essential stoic philosophers.

Did some of them fall short like Dio Timus and Seneca, yes. But for the most part, Marcus Aurelius was the rule and not the exception.

Clientes lived stoicism, so did Kato, so did Zeno, so must you, or at least you must try.

Remember, Seneca said that the goal of philosophy was to turn words into works. Even if he didn't quite manage that himself, he's right. And you know that.

To live up to these teachings, to turn there and draw words into works, that's what we're trying to do here. That's the greatness that we're chasing. And that's what philosophy is all about.

So look, I'm so excited. Lives of the Stokes, the art of living from Xenota, Marcus Aurelius, the first book ever to put the lives, the biographies of all the Stokes in one place is out now.

Came out yesterday. It's available everywhere. Books are sold. Support your local indie retailer. You can click the show notes on the podcast page and get it on Amazon. Barnes and Noble has got some signed copies left.

We are still giving out the pre-order bonuses. If you get them this week, you can check that out at dailystoke.com slash lives.

Look, if you've gotten anything out of the email over the years, if I can ask one thing of you, it would be to please support this book. Check it out.

Lives of the Stokes, the art of living from Xenota, Marcus Aurelius, to me, the purpose of philosophy is to make you a better person.

And so what I've tried to do is even in this biography come up with all sorts of real actionable things that you can apply in your life.

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