Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: the New Translation

by Marcus Aurelius

never to tell anyone you have no time for them. Nor neglect family and social duties by saying you’re too busy with work.

his focus was on doing things well, not the reputation earned for doing a thing.

Nothing stands in my way but me, and yet I still fall short of living fully, due to my own shortcomings and failure to react to the admonitions of the gods and their direct instructions.

No longer dissatisfied with their present lot in life, nor shrinking from the future.

Recall how long you’ve been putting off these things, how often you have received an opportunity from the gods and yet did nothing. You must finally accept that you are part of the universe, one with a grand administrator, the spring to your small stream. You have a limited, fixed time here, and if you fail to clear the clouds from your mind, it will go and you will go, never to return.

Each of us has a life, and yours is nearly finished...and instead of revering yourself, you’ve placed your happiness in the hands of others.

Always keep this in mind: the nature of the universe, your own nature, and how these two things relate to one another. What kind of part from what kind of whole are you? And remember, nobody can stop you from doing and saying things that work in accordance to that nature of which you are a part.

Since it is possible you may depart from life at any moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly.

Even if you live three thousand years or more, remember that no person lives, nor loses, any other life beyond this one. The longest and shortest lives are thus the same, for the present is the same to all.

In this way a person cannot lose either the past nor future; if you can’t own it, how can it be taken away?

Secondly, there’s no difference between whomever lives the longest or dies the soonest, for the present is the only thing of which a person can be deprived, as it is the only thing you actually own, and you can’t lose a thing you didn’t have it to begin with.

Do not waste the remainder of your life worrying about others, unless you’re working towards common utility, for you lose the chance of doing something better with your rime. What is such-and-such doing, and why, and what is he saying, and what is he thinking or scheming? Such thoughts scatter our attention.

Be cheerful, seeking no external help, nor a reliance on others for tranquility. A person must stand erect, not be kept erect by others.

All of these distraction, though they may seem well-adaptive to a good life at first, will all at once take over your life and carry you away. I say this simply and freely: choose the better path, and hold to it. —That which is useful is better.

Never value anything that compels you to break your promises, or lose self-respect, or hate or blame or curse anyone, or act the hypocrite, or desire anything requiring the privacy of a locked door.

Let no act be done without purpose, nor without the perfect principles of an artform.

Remember above all two things: first, things only affect you if you let them. Things are external and immovable, but opinion comes from within. Second: everything changes. Think of all that has changed already. The universe is transformation; life is a point of view.

When you begin a thing, do it in conjunction with being good, with the sense that humans are by nature good. Keep this in mind in all you do.

Everything beautiful is beautiful in and of itself, regardless of praise.

Center your mind with just thoughts and act with reason and comprehension.

Dear Universe: whatever harmonizes with you, harmonious with me. Nothing is too early or too late, but arrives in due time.

Make things simple for yourself.

Life is short, so you must profit in the present by aid of reason and justice. Be clear-headed and present.

For the rest of us, as soon as our last breath escapes, that’s it, we’re forgotten. But what is eternal remembrance, anyway? Nothing at all. Then what should we strive for? One path: conscientious thoughts, good acts, truthful words, and a disposition that gladly accepts all that comes as necessary and familiar from the unified universe.

All things change. The universe loves nothing more than changing things and making new things. Everything that exists is in some sense the seed of what is yet to come.

Remember this when you get frustrated: there is no misfortune that isn’t fortunate to those who bear it nobly.

Your daily thoughts become the character and color of your mind, for the soul is dyed in thoughts. Dye it then continuously with these thoughts: wherever a person can live, they can live well. If they are required to live in a specific palace, they can still live there well. Remember that things move toward their purpose, and their purpose is good.

Recall where you’ve been, what you’ve endured. Now imagine your history is over, your service ended...how many beautiful things have you seen? How many pleasures and pains have you spurned? How many so-called honors have you declined? How many awful people have you been kind to?

The keys to happiness: the right path, the right thoughts, the right acts.

Dying is an act of life, and we must do as well as we can with what’s been dealt.

The best revenge is to keep from becoming just another wrong-doer.

Just because you can’t do a thing doesn’t make it impossible. If it can be done, then it’s reasonable to think you can do it too.

Call yourself back, return to your senses...and awaken. And now that you are awake, aware that your troubles were mere dreams, look now upon the world as if it were a dream.

Adapt yourself to your lot in life. And with those who share this portion, love them dearly and sincerely.

Whatever is good for these places is good for me.

Just like at the theater, where you grow tired and bored of seeing the same spectacles over and over, such is life. For all things above and below are the same, arriving from the same place. How long now?

It is within our power not to have an opinion of a thing, or be disturbed in our soul, for things themselves have no power to form our judgments for us.

Really listen to people. As much as possible, try to get in a speaker’s mind.

What’s not good for the hive is not goo...

As life goes on, keep this in mind: you know a thing when you see it. Everywhere, up and down, you’ll find the same things of history, from the ancient world to modernity, filling cities and homes. There is nothing new in the universe: all things are familiar and short-lived.

Be aware of what you’re saying, and the results of what you’re behaviors. In the one, know the point you’re going to make, and with the other, what your act might signify.

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. You’re like a soldier storming a town, you have your duty, but if you were suddenly wounded, would you refuse help from your fellow soldier?

Don’t fear the future. If you get there, it’s going to be using the same brain and reason you now use for present matters.

Let external things affect whatever they’re going to affect, and let whoever is affected complain if they want. But unless I consider it a terrible thing, I remain uninjured, for it remains in my power to think so.

Despite what others say or do, I must do good. It’s like gold or emerald or purple saying to themselves, I don’t care what these other do, I must continue to be my own color, and brilliant.

The mind does not undermine itself; that is, it doesn’t frighten itself or hurt itself purposefully. But if someone else wishes to frighten or hurt it, let them do so, for the mind needn’t accept these things. Let the body, if it can, defend itself from suffering; and if it does suffer, let it speak. But the soul, which can feel fear and pain, is powerful enough to control these opinions of itself, and so will suffer nothing, as it would never deviate into such judgment. The mind in itself wants nothing, unless it creat...

Eudemonia, or ‘well-being,’ is the result of either good luck or personal integrity. But then what are you doing here, Imagination? Go back where you came from, as I want nothing to do with you. I understand you arrive out of habit, and I’m not angry, but I need you to leave.

Are you afraid of change? But why? What can take place without change?

Soon you will forget all things, and be the thing forgotten by everyone.

It’s uniquely human to love those who’ve wronged you, which you can learn to do, so long as you recognize they are kinsmen doing the wrong thing by ignorance or accident, and that you will both die.