“You have power over your mind-not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength”
-Marcus Aurelius
This is Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD. In his prime he was the most powerful man in the world, leading Rome at its peak, leaving his mark as the last “good emperor”. He loved his people and the city, though this is not what he is most remembered for so many years later. In his free time of governing rome, he would sit down at the start of his morning and journal about everyday thoughts and problems me or you would encounter. He would deal with other countries negotiating peace, helping the poor of rome to achieve more. Even with the weight of the world on his shoulders Marcus would write to himself every morning these very wise meditations that still apply to us today.
At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I'm going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do?
Most powerful man on the planet wrote in a journal what he wanted his day to consist of and prepare his mind for what’s to come. These journals were never meant to see the light of day, only after his death were they then passed through so many hands, translated so many times, and become published into Meditations - Marcus Aurelius to be revered worldwide for how inspiring and insightful his words are no matter the generation reading. This lead him to posthumuously become one of the fathers of Stoicism- the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint.
Marcus did what he had to do every day, no matter how impossible the tasks he was faced with, marcus faced them without complaint. This is something all of us can practice. Control our heads to not allow us to make an already difficult situation even more negative. Marcus learned this 2000 years ago. Even though he never meant to reach us in 2023, the conversations he had with himself on those pages have shaped so many people and I encourage you to practice these stoic principles aswell.
I found his book by random chance and loved every minute of it. The lessons in this book have shone me a point of view to everything I experience. When i am stuck in traffic frustrated I refer back to the stoic principles that marcus gave to me and realize that we cannot control what happens to us but we can control how we react.
Go and get a copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hayes translation is in modern english)
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