Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control
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 wisedom. 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.