The Daily Stoic is $2.99 as an ebook for a few more days! And we have signed copies of The Daily Dad leather editions here as well.

We spend so much time at the office, trying to get better at our jobs, trying to make a little more money, trying to climb further up the ladder. We spend hours in the gym over the course of a life, trying to get into better shape, trying to hit personal records. We spend mountains of time online, trying to help our fantasy football teams, trying to find discount codes to save money shopping, trying to stay abreast of our friends’ and families’ lives (or so we tell ourselves).

It’s all good stuff for the most part, but it calls to mind a certain question about our priorities, doesn’t it? “A better wrestler?,” Marcus wrote in Meditations. “But not a better citizen, a better person, a better resource in tight places, a better forgiver of faults?” We spend a lot of time on superficial stuff–we even call it “work”–but rarely do we expend the same amount of effort on the stuff that really matters. In fact, even Marcus’s quote demonstrates this.

Notice that he doesn’t say anything about being a better parent? And this was a guy who had a dozen kids! A guy who, if we look at the reign and misdeeds of his son Commodus who inherited his throne, could have stood to be a better father for the benefit, not just of his son, but for all the people of Rome who suffered under Commodus. Marcus doesn’t say anything about being a better spouse either…and some of the rumors about his marriage point to him needing to do some work there too.

Now, one could certainly argue that all of this domestic stuff is included under the banner of being a better person, but should it be? Why not make it a specific priority? Why not actually work on it for its own sake? Why not put the same energy you put towards following the news in an effort to be an informed citizen into following the research that will make you a more informed and effective parent?

We pour effort into professional development, physical training, and hobbies, but when it comes to the roles that shape our lives and the lives of others, we often just wing it. But these are the relationships—especially when it comes parenting—that demand the most of us. They ask us to be patient when patience feels impossible, to be calm when chaos reigns, to lead when we’re unsure, and to love without limits. You could argue that parenting is both a practice that calls for the best of what philosophy can teach us and the ultimate proving ground for philosophy.

That’s why it’s not enough to reflect on these ideas once and move on—we must return to them regularly, grounding ourselves in their wisdom. Like tending a fire, philosophy fuels our patience, strengthens our resolve, and guides us toward the kind of parents we aspire to be. If we want to lead by example, to raise strong, compassionate, and capable children, we must first commit to the daily practice of becoming better ourselves.

P.S. By following the teachings of The Daily Stoic—just $2.99 as an ebook for the next couple days!—over the course of a year you’ll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well. And when you’re living well as a parent, you tend to parent well, too.

We also have premium leatherbound editions of The Daily Stoic, as well as The Daily Dad. Both are full of features that will allow the books—and wisdom—to be passed down to your children and further generations to come. Grab your copy today!