Marcus Aurelius, the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors, wrote a series of journal entries (later translated by Gregory Hayes) that’s since been named, Meditations.
If I had to recommend a single book to an individual looking to gain control of their life, tame their wild mind, and start moving in the direction of their goals, this would be it.
Though written over 2,000 years ago, Meditations remains just as relevant today to the development of self.
Marcus Aurelius has inspired countless philosophers and modern day stoics, converting them to the idea that ultimately you are captain of your destiny.
You have the power to become whatever you set your mind to.
The only limit to what you might achieve in this life, is the limit you set on yourself.
Below is a compilation of quotes from Meditations to set you along the path of self-discovery.
On the Nature of Other People
“We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.”
A recurring theme in Meditations is the idea of personal autonomy. Even in Aurelius’ day, people spent much of their time holding court. Primping and preening and putting on a show for the amusement of others.
Aurelius is correct in pointing out how pointless it is living your life in hopes of impressing somebody else.
The only opinion you must live up to is your own.
“Beautiful things of any kind are beautiful in themselves and sufficient to themselves. Praise is extraneous. The object of praise remains what it was — no better and no worse.”
Whether we be seeking praise, or avoiding hurtful words, always keep at the forefront of your mind the notion that everything happening outside of your mind is merely a matter of your unique perception.
A thought experiment reinforced by the following quote:
“Nothing that happens in someone else’s mind can harm you.”
Aurelius spends much of Meditations repeating the idea that reality itself is entirely dependent on our individual perception. As an extension of this idea, nothing can harm you lest you accept it is as harm.
Stoics commonly rebel against the labels of good and bad, seeing these as external categorizations based on context and individual perception.
Is it bad to kill a man? Most would say yes.
Is it bad to kill a man in order to save thousands? Some would say no.
“Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.”
Perception matters. Remember nothing is inherently good or bad. It is merely a label you’ve assigned.
“Don’t waste the rest of your time here worrying about other people — it will keep you from doing anything useful.”
How much time have you wasted this week dwelling on what somebody else did or did not do?
Did all that dwelling actually change anything?
No.
So stop doing it.
Focus your attention where it matters most: On things within your control. Namely, yourself.
“Leave other people’s mistakes where they lie.”
Accept that people will make mistakes. They are human.
Accept that you will make mistakes, too.
Be as forgiving with others as you would be with yourself.
Or if you’re particularly self-hating: Be as forgiving with yourself as you would be with others.
On The Nature of Time
“Time is a river, a violent current of events, glimpsed once and already carried past us, and another follows and is gone.”
This is possibly the most poetic attribution in Meditations. Visualizing time as a river constantly rushing past is a helpful practice. It helps anchor us in the reminder that this moment is imminently brief and eternally unique.
It should be appreciated as such.
“The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose.”
Much of the Meditations focus on the idea of death and the finite nature of… well, everything.
It’s instructive to think on this daily. Meditation is a popular practice because at its root, it’s all about living in the moment, stringing your focus from one breath the next like a beaded necklace.
Nothing exists beyond the intake of your current breath. Nothing existed before the exhale of your last.
All you have is this very moment.
I think if we, as individuals, were able to live every moment with this realization at the forefront of our mind, we would not only be more productive, we would stop wasting time on things that fundamentally don’t matter. We would strive to live fully in the moment, because as Aurelius points out: All you have is the present.
“Everything fades so quickly, turns into legend, and soon oblivion covers it.”
It’s ironic that Aurelius wrote so passionately about how all things will eventually be lost to time, and yet here we are, over 2,000 years later, still talking about Aurelius.
Though his words have lived on much longer than he probably assumed they would, it’s important to remember that he will ultimately be proven correct.
Your time in this world is but a blip on the cosmic radar.
You, too, will someday die. You, too, will someday be forgotten.
This might cause you a moment of sadness, or it might inspire you to stop living for some indefinable point of time in the future, and start living for now.
Cause remember:
“If you’ve seen the present, you’ve seen everything.”
On the Nature of Productivity
“Even the smallest things should be directed towards a goal.”
Productivity, at its most fundamental level, is all about applied focus.
It’s quite possible to be inordinately busy, and absolutely unproductive.
Productivity depends on the fact that what you are doing actually matters. This is where the idea of effectiveness really comes into play.
Are you effective?
I don’t know… are all your actions directed towards a goal?
Probably not.
But that’s okay. Every moment is a new opportunity to change that.
Will you?
“If you don’t have a consistent goal in life, you can’t live it in a consistent way.”
There are tons of articles out there citing the importance of having a plan and direction for your life. Here’s a link to one, because this is such an important topic that I’m afraid a one line quote from even the Master Aurelius himself isn’t enough to do it justice.
“If you seek tranquility, do what’s essential. To do less, better.”
Having the entirety of human knowledge in a sleek device that can fit in your pocket has really rewired our fundamental expectation of what we can and cannot do in a day.
But just because we can fill our time with more and more and more, doesn’t mean we should.
Too many of us are mindlessly spinning our wheels, taking on more and more, without ever asking:
“Is this essential?”
To my mind, this is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. Don’t believe me? Here’s an entire article on the subject.
Boom. Told you it’s important.
On the Nature of Being Good
Remember, good is a subjective construct. To Aurelius, however, it meant something quite specific. It meant living ones life in alignment with the dictates of Nature.
What does Nature dictate? That you live in accordance with Logos (justice/truth/reason).
So with that said:
“It’s quite possible to be a good man without anyone realizing it.”
Do you know a person in your life who only does good things so that they can lord it over others?
It is a sort of bartering chip they can throw on the table later, and you always know they still have that chip, because they never let you forget.
This type of behavior runs contrary to what we discussed at the beginning of this article which is: Do not live your life trying to live up to other people’s opinions. Strive to do what’s right because that is what your opinion of yourself demands.
In short, stop tooting your own horn. You did good? Great. Go do more.
“You could be good today, but instead you choose tomorrow.”
The people who go on to be the most effective, most successful, and overall, most happy, are the one’s who do not put off til tomorrow what can be done today.
This quote could just as easily have found its way into the productivity section, but I put it here because especially when it comes to the act of doing good in the world, acting out beyond ourselves to bring about positive changes in the world, we convince ourselves we are not ready.
That it can wait. That it’s not pressing.
Stop thinking about all the good you could do. Start doing. Because remember, at the end of the day:
“What doesn’t transmit light, creates its own darkness.”
You can either be a beacon of light and energy and positivity and influence, or you can be a black hole.
A void of negativity sucking the life and happiness from everything and everyone around you.
We all know people like this.
People who are never content, always feeling slighted.
They take more than they receive, and what they do give back is poisoned with negativity.
Do not be this person.
Transmit your own light. Don’t be afraid to let others see it.
Down Through The Ages
There’s a lot to think about here. If you’re not careful you can easily fall into the trap of trying to do too much at once.
I recommend taking one of these quotes everyday and write it on a piece of paper, or put it on your phones background, and then check in with that quote a couple times throughout the day.
Ask yourself, am I living up to the standard I set for myself this morning?
If not, what do you need to do to get back on track?
In this way you can start to put Aurelius’ teaching to work in your own life and start reaping the benefits.
Before you take off, I’m curious, which of these Marcus Aurelius quotes resonates the most with you? Get down to the comments and let me know.
