The Three Main Sections
Picture by Magda Vrabetz
Why One Daily Tale?
A few years ago, I read The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. The book offers daily short meditations inspired by quotes from Stoic philosophers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. As a French student, I studied this kind of philosophy in school and had always been fond of ancient civilizations, particularly the Greek one. While I had some knowledge of Stoicism, I had never really delved deeply into it.
After reading the book, I thought it might be a good idea to adopt a similar structureâproviding daily reflectionsâbut using contemporary materials as references. This would resonate more with readers, as they might feel a stronger connection to modern sources. One key idea behind this is that we can find seeds for reflection in everything we encounter.
Stories are also a fundamental part of being human. Before writing was even invented, stories were passed down orally from generation to generation, often carrying important lessons. Tales have a unique power to connect people: when people listen to the same story, their heartbeats can actually synchronize!
The materials we use for the daily tales are primarily things that have inspired, impacted, or even changed us. We hope you enjoy them and that our reflections resonate with you, perhaps sparking your curiosity to learn more about our mission.
Picture by Iana Dmytrenko
From Self-Reflection to Action: The Birth of One Daily Tale
I never imagined One Daily Tale would evolve into what it is today. At the beginning of 2024, I started reflecting, thinking, and studying intensely. The catalyst for this was that I had hurt the one person I never wanted to hurt. For the first time, I truly acknowledged my flaws and mistakes. However, the process of self-reflection isn’t magical or instantaneous. While I gained more insight into my life, I still struggled to recognize just how self-centered and hurtful I had been throughout my life.
Of course, this is an ongoing processâsomething I work on daily. Just like how we can easily slip back into bad habits, such as choosing to sit on the couch and watch TV instead of going for a 10 km run, we can fall back into old ways of thinking.
From all the reflection, thinking, and studying I did, I compiled my thoughts into the Basics section of the site. The core realization is that our brain is our foundation, and nurturing a healthy brain should be our number one priority. Everything else flows from there. And to be honest, creating healthy habits for our brain is simpleâwe already know what we should be doing.
That said, I personally didnât know much about the brain, neuroplasticity, or how it plays a crucial role in our daily lives. It’s not always obvious that physical exercise can help with studying, or that embracing new challenges can improve our social relationships.
The Basics section covers key elements that are all interconnected. If understood and practiced, they can lead to a more fulfilling life for individuals, a more fulfilled society, and even contribute to saving our planet.
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From Knowledge to Action: Building Healthy Habits
Knowing the Basics without taking action, while better than having no knowledge at all, still isn’t enough. As we learn from the Basics, creating healthy habits for our brain requires us to take action. The path is simple, but it wonât be easy.
Practice requires time and dedication. For most people, forming new habits takes at least 30 days. Our personal history with a habit can influence this timeframe, but it means we likely wonât see real results in just a few weeks.
The Practical section will dive deeper into actionable ways to implement the topics discussed in the Basics section.
Since a daily routine is essential, weâll provide ideas you can adopt as good practices. While everyone is different, having a starting point is better than having none, so we’ll share our own routines and habits. From there, youâre free to adapt them to your current situation.
Recommended book : The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
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