This is How You Win the Day | Circumstances Have No Care For Our Feelings

Welcome to the Daily Stoic Podcast, designed to help bring those four key stoic virtues, courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom into the real world. In April 1960, the writer Richard Whelan was trying to meet with Diane Nash and the sit in students for a Time magazine cover story. These young students had suddenly become the focus of an immense amount of attention, not just from the press, but from the police and politicians and the rest of civil rights leaders. How were these kids going to upend years of stymied racial progress? How could they possibly challenge a system in which the police and the courts and elected leaders in public opinion were all against them? Could they win? It seemed very unlikely. Richard Whelan was stunned to find that he had trouble asking these students questions because they were not particularly interested in meeting with him. They were too busy. They did not have the time, even though he represented what was, at the time, one of the most important publications in the world. Finally, Diane and her team agreed they would see him at 6AM, before the morning strategy that started their day. Whelan could only marvel, 6AM? The only time they can meet with me is 6AM? They're going to win, aren't they? He said. Winners attack the day like that. It doesn't matter what their cause is. They win that discussion that Marcus Aurelius has with himself in meditation. It's the one we all must win when the alarm goes off. Yes. It is warmer under the covers, but we are not meant for that. We have a duty. Our nature, justice demands something from us. It demands that we get up, that we get after it, that we wear ourselves doing it. It's what you must do if you want to win. About to head over and pick my kids up from school, and after I do, I know what they're gonna ask. They're gonna go, hey. Can we go to Whole Foods? And I am going to say yes. One, because then, keeps them off their screens. But two, groceries are my responsibility in our household. And so, yeah, we usually swing by the Whole Foods headquarters, and, we get all our groceries for the week. My wife has, like, a bazillion dietary restrictions. Sometimes that can be tough, but not at Whole Foods. They got everything. Even for Valentine's Day, they got miles of chocolate dipped strawberries that I think we're gonna get. They got gluten free stuff. They got dairy free stuff. I got basically everything. And I usually pick her up flowers while I am there too. If you're looking for something for someone for Valentine's Day this year, Whole Foods has got bouquets and arrangements. They've got succulents. Sometimes I'll just bring home a plant. She always appreciates it. The point is you can taste love all month at Whole Foods, and maybe you'll see me there here at …