Marcus Aurelius is one of the most quoted writers in history, yet he never publish any writing.
His full-time job was running the largest nation state in the ancient world as the emperor of Rome. The famous book Meditations is a compilation of writings from his private journals, an incredible insight into the inner life of the world’s most powerful man.
Here are 5 stoic principles for happiness from Marcus Aurelius.
TIWIKE #1: Memento mori- remember you have to die
“Stop whatever you are doing and ask yourself: am I afraid of death so I won’t be able to do this anymore?”
I love this quote so much because it cuts straight through all the BS of life.
Stop spending your precious time alive doing things you don’t enjoy.
TIWIKE #2: Anxiety lives inside your perceptions and is therefore within your control
“Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it is within me, in my own perceptions-not outside.”
This one is easier said than done.
But how much personal power do you gain by recognizing that anxiety lives inside your head?
Who else but you can banish it to the hinterlands?
TIWIKE #3: Don’t judge what is outside your control
“Things outside your control should be deemed natural, not good or bad.”
Think how much you have suffered by judging things outside your control.
This has reached epic proportions in America where we worship the news. And the only reason why judging what is inside our control is a good idea is because we have the power to change the bad into good and the good into very good.
The ability to recognize what is and is not inside our control is the very heart of our personal power to generate happiness.
TIWIKE #4: Stop valuing other people’s opinion over your own
“It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.”
The first time I read this one, I was struck by how profoundly true it was.
I think about it now every time I find myself worrying what other people think of me.
TIWIKE #5: Change your mind when you are wrong
“If anyone can refute me-show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective-I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is self-deceit and ignorance.”
When someone disagrees with you, it is natural to feel attacked.
We so often confuse what we believe to be true with who we are, but nothing could be further from the truth. The goal is to align your beliefs with reality itself, which is a process that never stops. In fact, that is a good definition for learning.
Happiness is a byproduct of the pursuit of Truth.
Self-deceit always undercuts happiness because it ruins the harmony between you and reality.