The right thing at the right time can change everything.
Zeno discovered Xenophon’s writings on Socrates in Athens and went on to found the Stoic school of philosophy. A young Marcus Aurelius was given a copy of Epictetus’s lectures from his teacher’s personal library and relied on that philosophy for the rest of his life, even as emperor. James Stockdale was handed the same works by a professor at Stanford. He would use what he’d learned to survive seven years as a prisoner of war in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. (Hey, it’s Ryan, by the way.) My aunt gave me a copy of Man’s Search for Meaning when I graduated high school, which in retrospect, set me up perfectly a few years later when someone recommended Marcus Aurelius to me.
We’ve been raving about the novels and writings of James Salter lately (The Hunters, Burning the Days). He has a great passage:
The book was in her lap; she had read no further. The power to change one’s life comes from a paragraph, a lone remark. The lines that penetrate us are slender, like the flukes that live in river water and enter the bodies of swimmers.
When these paragraphs or pages come into our lives, they not only change us, but they change the people around us, too. How many people learned about Stoicism from Marcus, from Stockdale? What about the men in that prison camp who were saved by Stockdale’s heroism? How many lives have been shaped, maybe even saved, by the ideas from a book, given at the right moment?
This month, as we celebrate graduates and their achievements, this is one of those entry points, a chance to have an outsized influence on somebody’s future.
What would you have wanted someone else to hand you at such a pivotal time in your life? Something that could have helped you stay grounded during your first big break (or breakup, for that matter)? Something that could have helped you see the big picture, deal with stress, direct your ambitions properly? To remind you that the courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom you need are all there for the taking—if only you know how to develop them?
Below are some recommended books and Stoic reminders that can have a great impact when you give them to the people you love this graduation season.
The private journal of the most powerful man of his time, available to us through a miracle of history, holds timeless lessons for dealing with life’s challenges. Is there anything better to put in the hands of someone with their whole future ahead of them?
This book changed my life at 19. And it’s one I keep coming back to—I’ve picked it up every morning for the past two decades and have read it cover-to-cover over a hundred times. Why? Because every time I read it, I get something new out of it. This is my all-time favorite book, and if you wanted to give one impactful gift to a young person in your life embarking on a new chapter, I can’t think of anything better than Meditations.
We created a beautiful leatherbound edition of the Gregory Hays translation—the one I believe to be the most modern and accessible to readers—for all the times they will return to this remarkable book. Strong enough to withstand decades of daily use, this edition includes my biography, “The Life of Marcus Aurelius.” It’s thoughtfully crafted with premium Munken cream paper, a gold-foiled leather cover, vinyl endsheets, and a sewn ribbon to mark your place or favorite passage. This book is meant to be a treasured reference—and, like the lessons inside, endure.
“A generous gift of guidance on modern living culled from a canon of wisdom hatched long ago.” — Maria Popova, editor of The Marginalian
Graduates can prepare themselves for the next phase of their life one piece of fortifying Stoic wisdom at a time with The Daily Stoic and Daily Stoic Journal. Featuring the best of Stoic writings paired with practical ideas for applying their wisdom to our lives, The Daily Stoic and its companion, The Daily Stoic Journal, are perfect for anyone new to Stoicism, or those who want to further develop their daily practice.
Now, you can give them together in The Daily Stoic Boxed Set. Recent graduates will benefit from the actionable Stoic wisdom within The Daily Stoic—and can deepen their understanding with The Daily Stoic Journal, filled with prompts to help them reflect on the philosophy and bring them closer to becoming the person they want to be.
These are two books—one ancient, one modern—that every young person should read.
Ancient writer and biographer Plutarch profiled the eminent Greek and Roman leaders of his time (his grandson was also Marcus Aurelius’ teacher, thanked in the opening pages of Meditations). How to Be a Leader distills Plutarch’s observations about their success (virtues and vices) into essays on leadership that would benefit any graduate starting their career.
Retired U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal shares thoughts from his career of service on what he believes is our most defining and enduring trait—character. McChrystal discusses how the choices we make truly shape us, and offers direction and advice perfect for young people seeking personal growth.
The transition after graduation can be emotional, overwhelming, and full of pressure. The world tells graduates to move fast, but Stoicism teaches something different—to pause, reflect, and act wisely. The pressure to make hasty decisions may bear down on them, but with the Pause & Reflect Medallion at hand, they can recall Seneca’s enduring words for emotion-filled moments: “Delay is the remedy.”
Our Pause & Reflect Medallion is a physical reminder to slow down in heated moments, stay grounded under pressure, and make better decisions. The Stoic Athenodorus advised a young Octavian (later Augustus), “Don’t say or do anything until you’ve repeated the 24 letters of the alphabet” (the inspiration behind inscribing the alphabet on the Pause & Reflect Medallion). What Athenodorus understood was that even a brief pause can change everything—that the space between impulse and action is where self-control, wisdom, and good judgment can be found. In life’s most difficult moments, that pause for reflection can mean the difference between a reaction driven by emotion and a response guided by clarity and purpose.
Give this medallion as a reminder of the power your graduate has in determining their next move. It’s a pocket-sized lesson in emotional intellegence—the ability to manage their emotions instead of being ruled by them. In a world that constantly pushes us to react, it’s a daily reminder that the wisest responses are rarely the fastest ones.
Like the four cardinal directions, Stoicism’s four virtues—courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom—serve as a kind of compass for living (did you know that’s why a compass has the ‘cardinal directions?’). You can give your son or daughter or niece or nephew a reminder of their direction with this hand-crafted pendant, featuring a seal with symbols representing all four virtues. Engraved on the back is “Acta Non Verba” (“Actions, not words”) to remind its holder to live these ideals everyday.
Learning is a lifelong pursuit that doesn’t end when you graduate. Seneca had a great line: Disce quasi semper victurus, vive quasi cras moriturus. “Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow.” Even if someone is leaving school, their education must continue.
The final book in my Stoic Virtues Series and instant New York Times bestseller, Wisdom Takes Work shares the stories of history’s wisest leaders, revolutionaries, writers, and philosophers—and shows readers how to cultivate wisdom for the rest of their lives through experience and self-education.
For the Stoics, journaling wasn’t just reflection—it was training. Marcus Aurelius used his journal to sharpen his character, examine his actions, and become a little wiser each day. The One Line a Day journal is particularly simple in its request of you, yet as you write just one line each day and the years stack on top of each other, you’ll have something priceless after years of entries: a record of who you’ve been, what you’ve done, and how you’ve gotten to where you are.
I started using this journal nearly 10 years ago (I’m on my second one) but I would kill to have another 2-3 completed journals that documented the ups and downs of my 20s.
What a beautiful gift to give someone you love as they embark on a new season of their life—the gift of memories and the gift of checking in with past versions of yourself. To stay on “nodding terms with the people we used to be,” as Joan Didion says in her famous essay, On Keeping a Notebook.
The Stoics believed that a good life is built day by day. This is a simple way to begin a lifelong habit.
Yes, the right thing at the right time can change everything for someone you care about. As your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and dear friends turn the page on this academic chapter of their lives and begin a fresh new one, give them that perfect book or reminder to guide them.
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