Think of all the things you can be grateful for, big and small. Start every day with gratitude.
The goal in life is not to be remembered by others. The goal in life is to perform works that will be remembered. Works that have a lasting impact on the lives of others — even if the “others” are only yourself.
Marcus Aurelius was not a well man. He was plagued by health issues his entire life. He had reasons up, but he never did. he never surrendered his soul.
There is another type of surrender. The man who, with sound body, surrenders his soul for greed or power and continues to live on. That is a disgrace. This is especially true of people in leadership for their influence extends well beyond the harm they are doing to their own soul. They can harm the bodies, minds, and souls of everyone around them.
A life well spent is a life long enough. There are a few ultra-rich people today that are giving vast sums of money for research into finding a “cure for death.” if you are the religious sort, eternal life is blasphemy. Even if you are not religious, it is sheer nonsense. Live every day a life worth living and be satisfied. Give of yourself to your fellow humans. If you are fortunate enough to be wealthy, give away that wealth to help humanity. Remember the words of Elilis Tinsley: “I never saw a bank truck at a funeral parade.”
Do not abuse or over work our body. Exhaustion will result. That will affect all facets of your life. So too does overworking your mind. That will also have a negative effect on all that you do. The best answer is to avoid both of these mistakes by resting periodically, both the body and the mind. The body requires sleep. The mind requires periods of peace.
As rewarding and enjoyable as pleasures may be, one should put them in their rightful place; That is, they should not be allowed to become distractions that pull you away from what is the work you should be doing — developing yourself.
If your fear of death is that you will miss television, social media, foot, recreation and other pleasures, then you haven’t grasped the meaning of life.
Some might say this is a bold thought. Don’t hold it against me, just consider it…
Don’t meet your end saying I did not have enough time. Meet your end and be able to say you made the most of the hours you were given.
The greatest human fear is the fear of death. Removing this fear from your mind is the true path to freedom.
Think about the astronauts rounding the dark side of the moon and viewing the earth from that perspective. Imagine how small we are as individuals compared to that scene. Not everything depends on us, very few things in fact. For those things that do depend on us, Brad Adkins a good steward.
Little did Benjamin Franklin know, someday there would be people very adept at avoiding taxes…
Not so death. We will all face it, so it is best to do so with open eyes and an open heart.
It is useless for others to know you without knowing yourself. Self-awareness should be pursued every waking moment.
Having faith in what you can’t control is foolish. Recognizing that something is out of your control is wise. The best approach to life is to put your faith in what you can control. Allow that to be your path.
Spend each day as if it were your last. Choose carefully what is most important to accomplish today, then go do it.
We are unfinished products and we will be until the end. What matters is how much we accomplish toward the finishing of ourselves.
The number of years we live is of no real consequence. How we live them is.
If you walk in the past it will show you the future. Those who have no knowledge of, or respect for the past are the worst leaders of all. If. Not a leader then they are destined to be a poor decision maker.
Being brave is good. Worse than not being brave is being a coward. Remember your duty at all tines. If your own comfort and needs come before everyone else’s, you have succumbed to cowardice.
The darkness of the human mind can be baffling. Allowing ourselves too much time to dwell on the darkness only leads us to a dead end. Instead, we should spend more time in reflection that leads to awareness of ourselves. Time is our ally but we need to use it purposely and not allow distractions.
Put real thought into everything you do. In that process, if you determine the return you will receive from your efforts is not significant enough, appropriate to the effort, cut your losses and move on.
What is better for our soul, surpassing our emotions or dealing with them? The Stoics have often been accused of suppressing emotions but their philosophy taught it was better to deal with them openly as soon as they became acknowledged. Awareness and understanding of our emotions is better for us than hiding or ignoring them. Accept your pain and find the positive.
Our fear (our greatest fear) is acknowledging our mortality. We go to extreme lengths to deny this truth. The Stoics celebrated this knowledge, rather than avoiding it. It gave them clarity to see what they wanted to accomplish with the time they had remaining.
Realize we are not destined to live forever. “The Sword of Damocles” is an object reminder of that lesson.
Damocles was a courtier in the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse. Damocles became too envious of Dionysius and desired the King’s power and position. To teach Damocles a lesson, the King gave Damocles the throne for a day with the stipulation that Damocles sit on the throne for the entire day. Unbeknownst to Damocles, the King hung a sword directly over the throne by the thinnest of threads…
Damocles came away from the experience with the clear understanding that fate hangs over us all and it cannot be controlled by us.
Is it possible the winds of political fortune can shift in a moments notice and deny your your most basic freedom:
Yes,
Meditate on that. Cherish the freedom that you have.