Virtue is a skill. You don't have it. You do it.
It's easier to think of the greats as being made of superior stock. To think of Cato as coming from a long line of distinguished ancestors. To think of Marcus Aurelius as being naturally wise and decent. It lets us off the hook to think of virtue as something someone is born with, as something all or nothing.
Virtue is no different from any other skill. You don't have it. You do it. And you get better at it the more you do it. If you want to be generous, brave, honest or tough, or an early riser, it's not a complicated formula. In fact, by wanting to be those things, you've already taken an important step.
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First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.
EPICTETUS
The second part is harder, but hardly complicated. You start tipping bigger. You start doing the things that scare you. You stop dancing around your real opinions. You push yourself physically. You set your alarm. And in doing so, you become what you decided you wanted to be.
Daily actions compound into long-term results. It takes an average of 66 days for a behaviour to become automatic. Don't let any more time slip by. If you started on one habit now, it would be established soon, and you'd be that much closer to who you know you're capable of becoming.
TRY THIS TODAY
Finish this sentence: “I want to be someone who…” Then choose one small action that person would take today, and take it.
Much of what I've learned about Stoicism comes from Ryan Holiday. Find more of his writing at dailystoic.com and ryanholiday.net.
While I have edited much of this content, there are some cases where I have taken Ryan Holiday's words directly. I've included them because I think they are powerful and will be helpful for you. They are also helpful for me, and I've put them here so I can learn and understand more myself.
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