Think of great things that happened in the present moment. In a great battle in the mist of history a commanding general gave the command to charge. A major invention that took weeks of preparation is put to the test in a moment of action. Think of your own life. A major decision was made at a particular moment. Some major occurrence happened in the moment. Most of our lives are immersed in analyzing the past and planning for the future. Because of this, most of us don’t even know what’s...

Our judgement is key. It is what sets the course in our way of living. The choices we make impact our happiness and those around us. But what happens when we are faced with a problem? How can we sure our judgements are right? It comes down to breaking down how we decide on handling the problems in life. Everyone has problems. Some are small, like what to have for dinner. Other problems are more significant, like saving money to buy a house or dealing with a difficult coworker. No matter what...

For most of the people, the difference between success and failure is character. We have seen many times that damages were done due to lack of honesty and integrity in a person. The lack of integrity can be seen almost everywhere today, from our own house to our workplace. Integrity is to be faithful to others regardless of the circumstances and outcomes. It is the term that people recognize but they are unable to fully understand it. Stoicism helps to pay more attention to the experiences...

The definition of integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. It is the goal of Stoicism to be someone of moral integrity. Reading this passage seems to have one clear message: do not compromise your integrity. Do not do anything that would lead us from this path. Marcus Aurelius writes that each of us is capable of living an authentic life through the reasoned choices we make. We do not have to live a life with secrets or to be scared of...

The faculty of choice is an amazing gift that we all have. Marcus Aurelius refers to this as the divinity within us. This was how valuable the ancients Stoics felt about our minds and reasoning ability. One aspect of life that we all must face is making choices. This passage in Meditations emphasizes this. We have the ability to judgements in life. But we have to be sure these judgements are sound. An important component to designing your own life is acknowledging and understanding the...

This passage shows how important it is not to take actions for the wrong reasons. Do not do things to draw attention because you feel you need approval from others. Do not do things against your will just for the sake of someone else’s happiness. We should as Marcus Aurelius writes let the god within you be the champion of who you are. Make reasoned choices that bring out the best in you. Be independent and able to bounce back and adapt and stand up for yourself. Our ability to bounce back...

This chapter of Meditations serves as a good reminder that we cannot measure who we are based on other people. However we are still part of others. We are still part of the whole and work for the common good. Much comes down to your self-esteem. The research on the connections between self-esteem and relationship satisfaction is quite extensive. Not only does your self-esteem influence how you think about yourself, but it also plays a role in your ability to receive and accept love from...

Reading this chapter reminds us of the phrase you cannot judge a book by its cover. Looking at things that may seem negative or simple may actually have some beauty in them and some opportunity. It takes someone with an open mind to recognize these. It not only relates to physical aspects but mental ones as well. It also tells us things about ourselves we do not recognize. When you read this chapter it seems Marcus Aurelius is saying life offers opportunity even with the smallest things. He...

Stoicism teaches that we should live a life as a person of character through the choices that we make. Our mind is the most valuable thing we have to carry this through. But what happens when the mind starts to become less able to make reasoned choices? As Marcus Aurelius writes that if we live longer there is no guarantee that our mind will likewise retain that power to comprehend and study the world. This is an issues faced by many nations with an increasing elderly population. As people...

There are two powerful aspects of this chapter. The first is understanding the importance of the present moment. He writes in mans time his life is a mere instant. Everything passes by and if we do not use our time to the best we can it will just fade away. The second part shows there is one thing that can guide us through this. It is philosophy. Marcus Aurelius writes What then can escort us on our way? One thing and one thing only philosophy. Philosophy acts as a guide in life. How does...

As you read this passage you get what amazing insight Marcus Aurelius has. Here he points out five different things that harm the soul or the directing mind. They are also incremental in the way a person acts or behaves. First when it becomes a separate growth meaning something causes the individual to become distant or possibly resentful. Second when they turn away from another human being. Third when they give in to some sort of pleasure or pain. Fourth doing or saying anything feigned or...

This chapter of the Meditations is such a powerful message of living life to the fullest. Think of some of the things Marcus Aurelius writes here. The present moment is equal for all. We all have the chance to make reasoned choices in life. No one can lose the past or future. All we have control over in the present. What has happened in the past and what will come in the future is beyond our ability to influence. Finally both the longest to live and the earliest to die suffer the same loss....

Marcus Aurelius starts off this chapter ‘always out and about running around in circles” and :looking for signs in his neighbors minds” He writes further “looking for signs in his neighbors minds.” Many people seem to live a life without purpose. They seem to be just going through the motions running around in circles. People may also seek answers through others. The truth is our purpose rests within us. Marcus Aurelius  further writes concentrate soley on the divinity himself and to give...

When you read Meditations you have to understand that this was Marcus Aurelius’ personal journal. He was using this for himself to reflect on events in his life. This chapter like many chapters have a sense of introspection. Look at the first statement “how all things vanish”. But still it is a gift, a gift for all of us to use in trying to practice Stoicism. This chapter seems to have this kind of what does it all mean feel. But it also has the understanding that we have something that...

This passage in the Meditations starts off by saying death should not be feared. He states departure from the world is nothing to be feared if gods exist because they would not involve you in any harm. Marcus Aurelius writes further that gods do exist and they do care for mankind. He writes that harn will not befall someone because the gods have provided for this. It must be understood the mindset of religion in the ancient world. There was a lack of understanding of many aspects of the...

The practice of Stoicism is not easy. To implement it in life requires discipline. It requires staying away from the things that can tempt us and impair our progress to being someone of character and integrity. There is one thing that helps us to understand what we need to avoid. It is our mind and the ruling faculty. Through it we have the ability to make choices. We can make decisions that guide our thoughts and actions. The fact is that every day, we are faced with hundreds of decisions...

The ancient Stoics believed in a concept of cosmopolitanism. As Massimo Pigliucci phrases it in his book How To Be A Stoic it is appropriation of other people’s concerns as if they were our own. Our success and progress in life has a sort of interdependence on others. Marcus Aurelius writes  “what kind of part it is of what kind of whole”. We are part of something, call it a community the world or just people around you in the present. Each thing in the universe has its own composition...

We are willing to accept others for who they are. When things go wrong for others we react with sympathy and empathy. But why is it difficult to accept ourselves. Self-acceptance is an important part of life and maturing. It’s hard to get very far in life without accepting yourself for who you are. It’s so easy to excuse bad behaviors and weaknesses, talking up your strengths to try to hide the weaknesses. In order to grow and mature, you need to accept your strengths and weaknesses; after...

Many times when we are making progress with Stoicism we may feel like we are drifting. Something happens. We get angry and explode. We engage in gossip behind someone’s back because it feels so tempting. We are on the road to becoming a person of integrity but something happens. We face a situation where we feel there is a setback to our progress. As Marcus Aurelius writes give yourself some space. Maybe the key to struggling is to understand what is it that struggles you. Without...

We are our own worst enemy. We are our own biggest critic and our own biggest challenge. We also tend to blow things out of proportion than what something should be. People also have the tendency to worry too much. They worry about things in the future. They worry about things they have no control over. They fear the unknown and dread uncertainty. We do not appreciate or take advantage of the present. Instead we waste the time we have. And then there is trying to get satisfaction from...

Take a moment to think about the present moment. What is going on right now. Do not think or worry about something happening later today tomorrow or next week. Do not regret something last week your forgot made a mistake on or whatever. Think about right now in the present moment. Consider how you have the ability to think and what your next action will be. This is where true control lies with the present and what you do with it. Think about what Marcus Aurelius writes  with Every hour of...

Reading this passage of Meditations shows how much life is a gift. We need to understand our own part of the universe and if we are making the best of the life we have. But many people may be just letting life go by and not living life to the fullest. It may be just they get comfortable and do not seek change. Others may want to change aspects of our lives but just keep putting this off. It may be a case of chronic procrastination. Almost a quarter of the population is chronic...

In this chapter Marcus Aurelius gets into how we are part of something greater. He writes Now every part of nature benefits from that which is brought by the nature of the whole and all that preserves that nature. Think about when you wake up in the morning and see a beautiful sunrise. Or a beautiful evening when the stars are out. You think to yourself there are not too many days or nights like this. You show a sense of gratitude. Understanding our own little place in the universe gives us...

It is interesting how Marcus Aurelius begins this part of Meditations. Flesh is nothing more than a mere fabric over bones. Breath is like the wind never constant and always changing. The third part the directing mind is what motivates us and brings change to our lives. But it can be easy to be distracted or affected by impulse. Our desires can affect our progress. No matter if you’re trying to become a person of moral integrity, sometimes you are going to face resistance especially from...

Meditations 2,1 shows when things aren’t quite going the way that you’d hoped, it can be really difficult to meet the challenges of your day with a calm smile. For some this can be even more difficult if they know they are facing a difficult day ahead where we may have to interact with negative talk, attitudes and ideas. But mornings do not have to fill the individual with dread. Remember you are an individual as part of a greater whole. Each person has their own problems and issues. And it...