Marcus Aurelius was practitioner of Stoicism. He was like Buddha, only better.
Here’s why:
Buddha was a great sage, no doubt about that, but he couldn’t connect to the “real” world. In fact, he tells you to be desireless.
Okay, I get it.
That desirelessness is not about having no desires but to be detached and all.
Blah, blah, blah.
But you see, I’m a practical man. All that sounds great in books and makes up for a great conversation after three drinks.
But, honestly, ask yourself,
“Can I be totally desireless? Is it even necessary?”
No. It’s not.
And that’s when our good old friend Marcus jumps in. He didn’t invent Stoicism, he was a practitioner and wrote about it in his personal diary.
Which now have been read by millions of people as the holy grail of Stoicism called ‘Meditations‘.
What Marcus wrote in his diary is real talk.
No philosophy, no feel good mush-mush, no fluff.
He gives you facts. Hard cold facts.
To get in-depth insights, I’d recommend reading the book.
Anyways, here are 8 Laws of Stoicism I found useful for living a better life.
1. Indifference
Happiness, sadness, win, loss, good days, bad days. Seasons change, but life never stops.
It’s hard, but you can learn to live with indifference.
It may not give you what you want, but it will keep you sane when you don’t get it.
2. Action
Birds and bees, cats and dogs, all go about their day as their nature guides.
Why can’t you do the same?
You’re weren’t born to sleep till 12 pm, watch TV, eat and repeat.
Zoom out and really have a good look at your life. Are you living the life you want to live?
No. Then get out of that couch and ACT.
3. Moderation
You don’t have to live like a monk.
It’s okay to enjoy the pleasures life offers you.
Nothing is bad if done in moderation. Enjoy life the best way you can, but never go to the extremes.
Never become addicted or dependent on anything that you can’t live without.
4. Thoughts
Thought fuel actions and actions create your reality.
When you can’t control them, observe them. See them as passing cars on a busy street and you’ll be fine.
And when you’ve observed them long enough, get rid of the ones that you don’t want in your life.
5. Simplicity
Simple is good.
Be simple in your words, thoughts and actions.
Whenever you’re in doubt, choose simplicity.
To live a better life, uncomplicate yourself
6. Less
If you want peace, do less.
Most of what we say and do is not essential, if you can get rid of it, life feels easy.
Focus on one thing at a time.
Just the next step, and then the next. Look no further.
7. Discipline
Be strict to yourself and kind to others.
Accept whatever happens as necessary. See everything as a lesson. Be a life-long learner.
Unselfish actions, like a flowing river, act and move on.
8. Awareness
Be constantly aware.
Aware that everything is changing, everything fades.
You’re not what you were yesterday, neither are people you know.
Accept this great truth and you’ll know how to live.
Conclusion:
Life is long when you live rationally and practice self-discipline.
All worldly wisdom can be summed up in one simple question.
Whenever you’re in doubt, ask yourself,
“Is it necessary?”