Japanpreneur Library: Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday is a great book for all of you Japanpreneurs out there. Although it isn’t a Japan-specific topic, the idea of allowing ourselves time to reflect on the events and problems of our everyday life is something every entrepreneur and small business owner should give some thought to. The book is divided into 3 Parts: Mind, Spirit, Body. Staying balanced and refreshed, allows us to adapt and move quickly when necessary because the goal is clear. Like all of Ryan Holliday’s book he has done a ton of research, which at times can get a little heavy with his references from everyone from Socrates to Teddy Roosevelt. Overall though he tends to go wider than deep on many spiritual and philosophical topics, which makes it for an easier read. He’s making the case for why, in this day and age when many entrepreneurs are pushing the concept of never ending hustle, stillness is really the key. In that regard, this is a Why book, why is it important and has it been important in many different cultures like Japan as well, and throughout time. But it doesn’t necessarily go deep on How to find that silence. But Why and How are different topics, and the How can be very individual, based on what resonates with you. But we have to start with the Why. You have to let people know why it’s important to allowing yourself to be still, before they can figure out the best ways for them to bring this into their everyday life. But he makes a great case for us needing Silence in our world, with social media taking over, the news forever cramming a story of fear down our throats, the emails forever mounting in the inbox, the reachability of owners and employees alike with private time disappearing.