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Reading the personal insights of one of the most powerful men in the world during his time, and understanding that the problems he faced are very much the same as the ones we face today is incredibly humbling. To be kind, compassionate, selfless, humble, grateful, sober, diligent and grounded.

To realise that the only factor we can control is our reaction to things. We can't control how other people will react, what they think, the weather, traffic and a myriad of other elements. We can only control what it in our mind.
"External things are not the problem. It's your assessment of them, which you can erase now"

That happiness, contentment and peace is internal. To stop prying into what other people are thinking about and seeking their validation, rather than our own. We are all running different races so it is foolish to compare. I love this quote :

"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 thoughts"

To realise that our lives are brief and can end at any time. That we will be forgotten and that isn't depressing. Therefore it is even more important to be grateful and stay in the present moment. Not to let thoughts of the future, of what 'could' happen, what has happened, take over your mind. To be grateful for family, friends and your present moment.
"The only rewards of our existence here are an unstained character and unselfish acts".

Although not from this book, I love this quote :
"“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”


Most of our obstacles are internal and this clearly hasn't changed in the past 2000+ years. Marcus Aurelius struggled with what we do today, anger, fear, anxiety, thinking about what other people do or say. This is truly a one of a kind book and one that is full of aphorisms and applicable wisdom.