If you want to have the mindset of one of the five good emperors of Rome, then this
video will help develop your understanding of one of them, Marcus Aurelius.
We've previously covered the subject of what Stoicism is, but in this video I wanted to
delve into some of the more practical elements of how stoics live.
While I can't give the specifics of exactly what Marcus Aurelius did after waking up when
alive, more interesting is the mindset with which he started the day.
Therefore, in this video, we look at how Marcus Aurelius set his state for the day ahead as
part of his morning routine...
1.
Self Reflect - When you wake up your mind is fresh, rested
and going to be in the best state for reflection on your being and your purpose in life
- Therefore, many stoics, including Marcus Aurelius, ask themselves questions about what
they're doing and why, as it serves to identify their purpose to get up
- This helps to build resolve and meaning, as it gives references for doing something
they may not want to, such as the act of having to get up
- One way to do this is to follow Epictetus, who advised when waking up, you should ask
yourself the following questions:
What do I still lack in order to achieve freedom from negative emotions?
What do I need to achieve tranquility?
What am I?
reminding yourself you are a rational being.
2.
Have Gratitude - Marcus Aurelius has noted that as part of
his daily routine he feels a sense of gratitude towards the opportunity he had to live life
- For him, it's very much considered a privalege to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy
and to love, to basically all of the sensations that come with life itself
- and while stoicism is instrically linked to the notion of controlling emotion, it also
accepts that feeling emotion is a natural aspect of human life
- In addition to this, feeling a sense of gratitude has been found to be linked with
the improvement of quality of life along with the happiness you generally feel in life
3.
Prepare for Chaos - To quote Marcus Aurelius in Meditations:
"When you first rise in the morning tell yourself: I will encounter busybodies, ingrates, egomaniacs,
liars, the jealous and cranks.
They are all stricken with these afflictions because they don’t know the difference between
good and evil."
- While initially this quote might seem quite a negative outlook in life, it actually serves
to help set yourself to be in a state which helps you rationalise
- We live in a chaotic world, one where we, as individuals, struggle to comprehend and
understand one another, which can spark conflict over the smallest of disagreements
- Despite this, for the most part we live in harmony and Marcus Aurelius did this through
rationalisation, accepting people will have their own motivations and it's up to him to
accept the differences, making it significantly less likely he'll act in conflict as he doesn't
let external forces govern his state of being
4.
Have Purpose - As Marcus Aurelius saw the world, we all
have a purpose to be in it, from humans, to different animals to nature in itself, everything
has a reason for being - This sense of purpose is what allows us
to bring harmony and direction in amongst the chaos previously discussed, as we follow
the natural laws of life as a result - With this in mind, Marcus Aurelius used
this as a motivator to get up each day, it was his reason for being and his purpose in
life as a human - He took on responsibilities to maintain
natural order and harmony, by fulfilling his duties as a human being doing what he felt
was necessary in his life
5.
Focus - Again, to quote Marcus Aurelius, "Do everything
as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life", which sums up his perspective
on life - When you commit to doing a task, you need
to commit fully and wholly to that task, giving it your undivided focus and attention as it
needs it - This is done by fully rationalising what
needs to be done to complete the task and the purpose of doing it, without letting it
take hold of you by getting worked up over it
- So take on the mindset of a stoic, live life with purpose and meaning, following through
with doing what you need to do to ensure you fulfil your purpose in this life
What do you think of the mindset Marcus Aurelius had when doing his morning routine?
Let me know in the comments section below.
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