Meditations

Marcus Aurelius - what a guy. A dawg in every sense of the word. I knew his name for quite some time and had heard of Stoicism before reading Meditations. I thought it was purely about men forcing themselves not to cry and being **tough guys**. And not for the first time in my life, my pre-conceptions were far from the truth. What Meditations and Marcus have taught me about being an adult are we as animals must do our duty. He has a famous line where he says “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? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” I think about this passage nearly every time I’m getting too comfy for my own good. About 5 or 6 years ago, there was nothing I loved more than sleeping in. Staying up late doing absolutely nothing and sleeping in to then do, absolutely nothing. It wasn’t a coincidence I wasn’t happy back then. So I started getting up early again. I have always been an early-riser, but I had lost my way. Waking up early and doing my duties gives me a purpose and sets me up nicely for the rest of the day. Waking up at 5:30 has allowed me to not only create this portfolio, but gives me time I would not have otherwise - thus allowing me to learn, practice my craft, or train in the morning. Getting a feeling of accomplishiment before the day has truly begun. A second takeaway from the book, and he talks about it regularly, is his fascination and his observing of nature. Not much makes me happier than being outside and surrounded by green - trees and all. Nature brings about a sense of calm that has the power to affect us greatly as humans, and we are getting out in nature less and less. It’s very important to ground oneself and to be among other animals doing their duty, acting their roles to give one a sense of purpose. I could write about Meditations all day, but I’ll quit whilst I’m ahead. Stoicism is a big part of my life, and it has allowed me to break free from many shackles of anxiety, fear, sadness, and lack of purpose.