Important life lessons, courtesy of a Roman emperor
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations stands the test of time
One way to rise in the world is to learn from others. While there is no way to avoid making mistakes, you can learn to make fewer mistakes. Learning from others will save you a lot of misery over a long life.
That's one of the reasons I'm making friends with the eminent dead. Few things seem wiser than exploring the vast knowledge that's already been recorded and tested through time.
I read a lot. And once in a while I come across a book that knocks me off my feet — one where I walk away saying, "Man, I am so happy I found this book, and I only wish I had read it sooner." Meditations by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is such a book.
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Marcus Aurelius, who ruled the Roman Empire for almost two decades in the second century AD, passes along a lot of immortal wisdom. Meditations tries to answer some deep questions: Why are we here? How should we live? What is right? How can we protect ourselves against the stress and pressure of daily life?
Here, some quick lessons I've learned from reading Meditations.
On living without stress
One of the more interesting things I picked up from Meditations is what Marcus can teach us about living stress-free.
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The modern knowledge worker is constantly on the verge of being burned out. Marketers, the savvy people that they are, use this to nudge our vacations. If you’re burnt out, head to Europe, or, the mountains, anywhere but here. The message is simple, if you want peace you need to escape your present circumstances.
There is another way to do this as well that doesn’t involve the hassle of security checks, long lines, or jetlag. Marcus Aurelius teaches us that the best way to to get away from it all is to look inside yourself. And who better to learn about stress from than a Roman emperor who oversaw a vast empire and directed numerous military campaigns?
On living in the moment
Marcus Aurelius also wrote about living a fulfilling life:
The only thing you can give up is the present:
On having a sense of purpose:
People who labor all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse toward are wasting their time — even when hard at work.
On concentration:
On controlling your thinking:
Shane Parrish is a Canadian writer, blogger, and coffee lover living in Ottawa, Ontario. He is known for his blog, Farnam Street, which features writing on decision making, culture, and other subjects.
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