Attention. Retire into thyself. The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it does what is just, and so secures tranquility. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.28 The directing mind is satisfied when doing the right thing. Therefore, watch what you do. Keep it clear all the time; am [...]
Month: November 2017
Expect difficulties
Today as I was planning the day ahead, I made a little list of things I'd like to get done today. From there I moved on to remind myself of the expected difficulties. 1) Greed. Not being happy with all the wonderful things I have but wanting more. 2) High expectations. Nagging doubt that I [...]
How much virtue does one need on a given day, anyway?
Turns out that... It depends. “...the harder these things are to bear, the more virtue you must summon to your aid, and the more bravely you must struggle... - Seneca When you have nice problems, small problems, or no problems at all, you can do with fairly little virtue. When life throws fear, pain, sorrow [...]
What needs to happen today
So now the time has come to stop some things altogether. Time to stop whining, bitching, criticising, judging and to stop saving yourself from the trouble. It is time to cut out any traces of passive-aggressivity and sense of entitlement. It is now a perfect, and a due time to do all this, [...]
Your worst enemy
Wouldn't it be nice to blame it all on the others? It would be at least damn convenient, but who is it that can really hurt us? The society, family, priests, police or politicians? The envious neighbours? The people you have to deal with at work? These and many more can cause you hindrance on [...]
Sooner than you’d like
Soon you will have forgotten all things: soon all things will have forgotten you. - Marcus Aurelius In the story of your country or your culture, your time is short and that oblivion comes soon. In the vast timescale of the planet Earth or the Universe, it is even shorter. This means that the only [...]
You don’t have to have an opinion
“Does anyone bathe hastily? Do not say that they do it ill, but hastily. Does anyone drink much wine? Do not say that they do ill, but that they drink a great deal. For unless you perfectly understand their motives, how should you know if they act ill? Thus you will not risk yielding to [...]
Be anxious!
"I have only one anxiety: that I myself should not do something which the human constitution does not intend - or does not intend in this way or at this time.” - Marcus Aurelius Ask yourself all the time: "does this come from good intentions and is this helpful". Keep a constant tension [...]
Do not resist change
Is someone afraid of change? Well, what can ever come to be without change? Or what is dearer or closer to the nature of the Whole than change? Can you yourself take your bath, if the wood that heats it is not changed...Can any of the benefits of life be achieved without change? Do you [...]
Fate Permitting 