Marcus Aurelius meditations (my thoughts daily)
"Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretence." Today from book Seven this hit me.
I think so because I've never really thought about defining it.So why is it good to know? Because a person's character is our sculpture and it is inspired influenced over the course of our life.It is the only monument every person can leave to memory.
It is true that to live each day as your last while maybe not defining your character certainly would work to better it.When we are carried by the imaginations of hopes and fears we can obstacle what can be done and achieved.Indeed that next step on the staircase is in taking the step itself.If you truly believed these your last moments despite your hopes and fears you would know what you are and be that alone that is your nature.
Frenzy.To be hurried means we miss things and sometimes it's no one's fault we can just have so much ambition in a day that we miss the mark.So how to avoid this? By trying to keep and manage realistic goals, whilst keeping our optimism and staying free of miserliness.
Apathy.Personally I can struggle with this one the most! Sometimes when our fears take hold or in frenzy we're not moving slow enough taking Ng our time we can become dejected.Now aside from this there is the struggle of genuine depression,which at times is only the consequence of unchecked apathy.When we think about apathy though in its initial state we need to realise that sometimes that last push is the one that breaks the dam.Gratitude also is totally antithetical to apathy so working in a daily practice can be helpful.
Pretence...How easy a little success can go to our heads, but what is it about arrogance that so repulses us from such individuals? Is it an empathetic realisation of how quickly a fall may come to them.knowing we are all human of body mind and soul, having the same nature of mind that for the most part wants to do well.It is no wonder itceeks us when someone turns there nose up to us.We are all partial to it though if we are not are aware of the judgements we make about others.To remedy this we maybe can turn ourselves to love correction and keep in mind how many times we have been wrong or had a change of heart.
My apologies for missing a phew days!
So todays excerpt is from book 8:
"Concentrate on the subject or the act in question, on principle or meaning.
You deserve what you're going through.
You would rather become good tomorrow than be good today."
Why did this strike me today...well it is an rebuke against pity and a tip to be steadfast in uncertainty.
Personally I have had some trouble with funding for university...it looks like though I could scape by and feed myself on any other course that the compulsory counselling and supervision required on a counselling course I do not have the funds for. I have looked into bursaries and extra funding and mostly come upon dead ends. So you see I have become distressed the last phew days.
How this relates is well I "deserve what you're going through" this is not in the way of some reparation as if God is angry with me but simply that what is happening is meant for me or it would not be "ordained" if you like.
"you would rather become good tomorrow than be good today" don't we all wish we could get where were going sometimes without enjoying the struggle of the journey?
well then what is the advice? "Concentrate on the subject or the act in question, on principle or meaning." ahhhh so instead of miserly simping with myself what do I have? I have this years coursework to finish and I have the 7cups internship to finish.
And that is my course, I have under the advice of Marcus Aurelius set myself to no longer worry whilst there are things to do, I can once again push the doors in the summer or at worse I can then choose to defer and see where I get i n the coming year if I can save money or some other opportunity presents itself. So..all is not lost and we should do well to remember to "not put off till tomorrow what you can do today"
07/05/2023
Todays quote comes from book 9 of meditations
"And it is fighting when he allows himself to be carried in opposition to truth. He has received the prompts from nature: by ignoring them he is now incapable of distinguishing false from truth"
For me today this reminds me of what has become for me truth. I NEED to do a phew things or life becomes a fight, and I become uncertain about my decisions.
Those things for me are that I need to pray in the morning and read something, I need to sleep ,I need to hasten to my intended work, and have faith/optimism instead of worrying.
The last paragraph is personally what I need to do before I receive the prompts of nature and need to then return and get back on course.
What is profound for me is that we will always become aware of that need by natures prompts, and when we feel it we must return to those simple staples of our daily lives.
What are your prompts, your staples? how do you find yourself returning to your guiding principles?
I'd love to know.
Peace.
