Quotes from Marcus Aurelius

To this end there must be continual self-examination. "If thou may not continually gather thyself together, namely sometimes do it, at least once a day, the morning or the evening. In the morning purpose, in the evening discuss the manner, what thou hast been this day, in word, work, and thought.

Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions- not outside.

What is not good for the hive is no good for the bee

Before long, either ashes or a skeleton, and either just a name or not even that

be confident that my friends love me.

What obstacles and impediments soever she meeteth within her way, she must not violently, and by way of an impetuous onset light upon them; neither must she fall down; but she must stand, and give light unto that which doth admit of it. For as for that which doth not, it is its own fault and loss, if it bereave itself of her light.

The art of life is more like the wrestler's art than the dancer's, in respect of this, that it should stand ready and firm to meet onsets which are sudden and unexpected.

So you know how things stand. Now forget what they think of you. Be satisfied if you can live the rest of your life, however short, as your nature demands. Focus on that, and don't let anything distract you. You've wandered all over and finally realized that you never found what you were after: how to live.

4. Remember how long you've been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn't use them. At some point you have to recognize what world it is that you belong to; what power rules it and from what source you spring; that there is a limit to the time assigned you, and if you don't use it to free yourself it will be gone and will never return.

39. Adapte-se às coisas que o destino lhe reservou. Busque amar, verdadeiramente, as pessoas com quem tem de se relacionar.

love mildness, and moderation, and gravity:

All men are made one for another: either then teach them better, or bear with them.

The properties of the Rational Soul are these: sees itself, dissects itself, moulds itself to its own fill, itself reaps its own fruits.

XLVI. The ambitious supposeth another man's act, praise and applause, to be his own happiness; the voluptuous his own sense and feeling; but he that is wise, his own action.

I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity

51. Ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do. Self-indulgence means tying it to the things that happen to you. Sanity means tying it to your own actions.

At break of day, when you are reluctant to get up, have this thought ready to mind: 'I am getting up for a man's work.

It's quite possible to be a good man without anyone realizing it. Remember that.

12. Why all this guesswork? You can see what needs to be done. If you can see the road, follow it. Cheerfully, without turning back. If not, hold up and get the best advice you can. If anything gets in the way, forge on ahead, making good use of what you have on hand, sticking to what seems right. (The best goal to achieve, and the one we fall short of when we fail.)

Or was I created to wrap myself in blankets and keep warm?' 'But this is more pleasant.

Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to live ... while you have life in you, while you still can, make yourself good.

The universe is flux, life is opinion.

Whatever any one does or says, I must be good; just as if the gold, or the emerald, or the purple, were always saying this. Whatever any one does or says, I must be emerald and keep my color.

Consider each individual thing you do and ask yourself whether to lose it through death makes death itself any cause for fear.