Meditations

“Meditations” is a collection of personal reflections and philosophical thoughts written by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD. Known as the last of the “Five Good Emperors,” Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher who wrote extensively on how to live a life of virtue, resilience, and rationality amidst the challenges of ruling an empire. His writings, originally intended for his own guidance and self-improvement, offer timeless wisdom on ethics, self-discipline, and the pursuit of inner peace. The book is a testament to Aurelius’ commitment to Stoic principles and serves as a practical guide for navigating life’s complexities with wisdom and integrity.

Key Observations from “Meditations”:

• Stoic Virtues: Emphasizes virtues such as wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation as essential for personal and ethical living.
• Acceptance of Nature: Advocates accepting events beyond one’s control and focusing on how one responds to them.
• Inner Harmony: Encourages cultivating inner tranquility and maintaining equanimity in the face of adversity.
• Memento Mori: Reflects on the transient nature of life and the inevitability of death as a reminder to live with purpose and virtue.
• Self-Reflection: Promotes introspection and self-awareness as tools for personal growth and moral development.
• Duty and Service: Discusses the responsibilities of leadership and the importance of serving others with humility and compassion.
• Universal Kinship: Explores the idea of humanity’s interconnectedness and the importance of treating others with kindness and empathy.

“Meditations” offers readers profound insights into Stoic philosophy and remains a classic work that continues to inspire individuals seeking wisdom and guidance in their personal and professional lives.

(summary created with the help of AI)

Important excerpts from the book:

1. Book 2, Section 1: “Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness…”

1. Book 2, Section 17: “Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to throw away. Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power.”
2. Book 4, Section 3: “Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance—now, at this very moment—of all external events.”
3. Book 4, Section 49: “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
4. Book 5, Section 16: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
5. Book 6, Section 30: “Do not disturb yourself by picturing your life as a whole; do not assemble in your mind the many and varied troubles which have come to you in the past and will come again in the future…”
6. Book 7, Section 2: “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
7. Book 8, Section 7: “Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.”
8. Book 9, Section 6: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
9. Book 12, Section 1: “Begin the morning by saying to yourself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of what is good and evil.”

I have a special spot in my heart for this book. In my late teens (or perhaps early 20’s) I was struggling a lot and really wasn’t sure where my job was life were going and was feeling kind of listless. My mom bought me a ‘book of the month’ club (yes, I am that old) for a Christmas gift and a few months in, a slim volume called ‘meditations of Marcus Aurelius’ arrived. I was very curious as I’m a big fan of the Roman empire (yes, the rumors are true – I think of the Roman empire often!) so I cracked it open and ended up reading the entire thing in one shot. It was my first exposure to the philosophy of stoicism and it spoke to me in a way that nothing else had up to that point. I can 100% say this random book arriving was a pivot point in my life. It taught me that I alone am in control of my life and that the struggle to control things outside of my purview was a waste of my time. It taught me to calmly handle people who seek to upset me and to take control of a life that is ephemeral.

I still utilize Marcus Aurelius’ teaching to this day and strive to live a stoic life in the face of a very stressful world. I also want to leave by quoting my absolute favorite line in the entire book “The measure of a man is the worth of the things he cares about” I think about that often and strive to be a person who thinks about making the world better.