The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, one of the most famous Stoic philosophers in history, left a collection of personal reflections known as Meditations.
I have a video here for you to watch that explores these writings, which were originally intended solely for his contemplation, they were not intended to be read by others, much less to become a timeless guide for millions.
Aurelius, in fact, wanted them to be destroyed after his death. Yet their accidental survival offers some wonderful insights into how to deal with life’s challenges.
At the heart of Aurelius’ philosophy is the concept of indifference, which is an often misunderstood word. For Aurelio, indifference was not equivalent to apathy or emotional detachment. Instead, it was about maintaining perspective: the ability to focus on what really matters and let go of what doesn’t.
“Marcus Aurelius emphasizes that we must be indifferent to things that make no difference,” explains the After Skool animated series. “It’s not about being numb to life or ignoring our emotions.
“Indifference is a separation of your higher self from physical reality, emotions and thoughts. It is detachment from outcomes so that the rational mind can observe events from a clear distance.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes life drags me into an endless cycle of worry and I find myself obsessing over inconveniences or circumstances beyond my control. I hate it, but it hits me hard because of the business I help run.
When certain things happen outside of my control, they dominate our thoughts, distracting me from what’s truly important. Aurelius warned against this tendency, urging us to look at life through a broader lens.
“We spend much of our time worrying about the little things,” Aurelio observed. “We find things to complain about or obsess about, without knowing that these things have no impact on our lives in the larger context.”
Aurelio invites people to embrace the transience of life. “Change is the only constant. Change is inevitable… Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as if it were your own.”
This acceptance of the unpredictability of life is not about resignation, but about empowerment. By focusing on what we can control such as our responses, our values, our actions, we can free ourselves from unnecessary anxiety.
Probably one of Aurelius’ most powerful teachings is the idea that even in adversity there is beauty. While it’s often easy to see the value of difficulties in hindsight, finding meaning in the midst of challenges is an art that takes practice.
The video says: “It’s easy to look back and see times of difficulty as a meaningful experience. It’s much harder to see the beauty and adversity we face in the present moment, but it can be done and it’s an incredibly powerful tool.”
By cultivating indifference to that which is beyond our control, we are able to sharpen our ability to see the present clearly. This clarity allows us to appreciate the beauty of life, not only in its joys, but also in its struggles.
Aurelio encourages us to find strength in this perspective: “Don’t worry about the small things”.
This is one of those things that I randomly stumbled upon and needed to hear right now, at this time in my life. So, I thought I’d share it in case some of you might use it too.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
