In his New York Times bestselling book Courage is Calling author Ryan Holiday made the Stoic
case for a bold and brave life. In this much-anticipated second book of his Stoic Virtue series
Holiday celebrates the awesome power of self-discipline and those who have seized it. To master
anything one must first master themselves-one's emotions one's thoughts one's actions.
Eisenhower famously said that freedom is really the opportunity to practice self-discipline.
Cicero called the virtue of temperance the polish of life. Without boundaries and restraint we
risk not only failing to meet our full potential and jeopardizing what we have achieved but we
ensure misery and shame. In a world of temptation and excess this ancient idea is more urgent
than ever. In Discipline is Destiny Holiday draws on the stories of historical figures we can
emulate as pillars of self-discipline including Lou Gehrig Queen Elizabeth II boxer Floyd
Patterson Marcus Aurelius and writer Toni Morrison as well as the cautionary tales of
Napoleon F. Scott Fitzgerald and Babe Ruth. Through these engaging examples Holiday teaches
readers the power of self-discipline and balance and cautions against the perils of
extravagance and hedonism. At the heart of Stoicism are four simple virtues: courage
temperance justice and wisdom. Everything else the Stoics believed flows from them.
Discipline is Destiny will guide readers down the path to self-mastery upon which all the
other virtues depend. Discipline is predictive. You cannot succeed without it. And if you lose
it you cannot help but bring yourself failure and unhappiness--
