Marco Aurelio- 10 Inspirations From Life & Stoic Philosophy

Marco Aurelio is a Roman Emperor. He is also known as Marcus Aurelius.
He was the second-century CE king of Rome and a Stoic Philosopher.
He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good Emperors. These Emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius
Marco Aurelio had a distinctive habit of penning down his daily mind in the solitude of the night. He had written them as a memoir for himself.
Marco Aurelio’s work is compiled in the form of a book. The world knows this epic book as “Meditations.”
The Emperor led a stoic life. He was a Stoic Philosopher and a king.
According to Stoic Philosophy, only virtue is good and only vice is bad.
The daily life and affairs which keep us individuals busy are all indifferent to our happiness. Our lives are not made good or bad by having or lacking them.

Table of Contents

Marco Aurelio’s Life

Marco Aurelio was born on April 26, 121 CE & died on March 17, 180.
He was a thinking person since his childhood. He used to stare into nature and try to observe natural phenomena and how they function.
He was the adopted son of Antoninus Pius.
Marco Aurelio succeeded his father as a Roman King in 161 CE.
Marcus Aurelius remained the king of Rome till his death in 180CE.
Marcus Aurelius studied Greek and Latin under tutors such as Herodes Atticus and Marcus Cornelius Fronto.
Marcus Cornelius Fronto was also his long-time friend and mentor.
He faced many challenges during his reign. Among the prominent ones are the spread of the Plague in his kingdom, German attacks, and rebellion from Egypt and Italy.
Marco Aurelio got married to Antoninus’ daughter Faustina in 145.

Marcus Aurelius Children

‘Marco Aurelio Children’ details are given below.
Marcus Aurelius married her cousin Faustina the Younger in 145. In their 30 years of married life, they had 13 children. Sadly, 8 of them died young.
Only 5 of them had ‘age’ in their favour. They were-

Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla (148/50–182), married her father’s co-ruler Lucius Verus.
Annia Aurelia Fadilla (159–after 211)
Annia Cornificia Faustina Minor (160–after 211)
Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus (Commodus) (161–192) became the next emperor.
Vibia Aurelia Sabina (170–died before 217)

Meditations Marcus Aurelius Book

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Marco Aurelio’s Epic Work On Meditations

During his reign between 170 & 180 CE, he wrote these Meditations for his understanding and guidance.
His actual work is in the Greek language.
He used to introspect a lot on various matters which pass through his observations.
He had his analytical power. He used to comprehend and analyze various things with logical deduction.
His writings represent stoic philosophy and a tinge of spirituality.
They were later compiled in a book form and titled his work as Meditations.
It is a great book for an individual, government, or group. It teaches us the way we should think and live a life.
It teaches us the responsibilities of a ruler and how to show humility by staying at the helm.
The work is full of Stoic philosophies, which demand us to control our emotions and remain calm in any storm.
It is considered by many as one of the greatest works of stoic philosophy.

What Is Stoicism? What Is Stoic Philosophy?

The word Stoic is derived from a Greek word for “porch.” The word is Stoa.
It was given by a person known as Zeno. He was from Athens. He propounded this idea in 300 BC.
Stoic philosophy is based on the basic answer to the question, how can we find the path to happiness? The stoics call it “eudaimonia.”
This philosophy has a mode of conduct represented by the tranquillity of mind and confidence of moral worth.
As per Wikipedia- Stoicism is a philosophy of personal virtue ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world.
It asserts that the practice of virtue is both necessary and sufficient to achieve eudaimonia.
Eudaimonia means happiness and good-spiritedness.
One flourish in life by living an ethical life.
The Stoics(Followers of Stoic Philosophy) identified the path to eudaimonia with a life spent practising the cardinal virtues and living under nature.

10 Inspiration Form Marco Aurelio’s Life & His Book Meditations

We are giving here the 10 most important lessons from the life of Marcus Aurelius. We are also sharing the best inspirations & motivations from his book “Meditations.”

These are full of wisdom. When we follow them in our lives, we get peace and tranquillity. We jettison restlessness and impatience.

1- Your Every Action Must Be In The Direction Of Becoming A Better Human being

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marco Aurelio

The asset of Marcus Aurelius was the composure of his mind. His reign was passing through the chaos. There was death due to plague, war and rebellion. He was facing them all.
You can only be righteous and stand tall in testing conditions if you have goodness within. It is not a one-day process. You have to do better things daily.
Marcus suggests the way to becoming a good human being is by doing good things. It should not be there only in our conversations but it must also be there in our actions.
When you do good things with others, good things begin to happen to you.
We spread love and happiness. We feel solace and serenity.

2- Do What Is Right, Say What Is True

“If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.”- Marco Aurelio

When you don’t do what is right, it spreads injustice and oppression.
Injustice and oppression are parents of callousness, carelessness, crime and inequality.
When you dwell on falsehood, you dig the grave for mistrust, infidelity, and non-cooperation.
The fabric of society is woven by solidarity and general goodness. They are unconditional.
When you think of one another, you cease to be selfish and jealous.

3- Challenges Bring Out The Best From You

“The mind adapts and converts to its purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”- Marco Aurelio

We should never worry about circumstances. Circumstances don’t make us, they reveal us. Every challenge is an opportunity for the next level. Your progress in life depends on the efficiency of surmounting challenges.
As a king or a leader, you have to maintain your composure and not buckle down under any circumstances. It shows your grit and mettle.
If the examinations of life are weakening you, you will become a liability to society.
People detest liabilities and embrace assets.
Marco Aurelio suggests that we should remain steadfast through thick and thin. It is also a test of our character.

4- Live In The Present Moment

“Concentrate every minute like a Roman—like a man—on

doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine

seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing

yourself from all other distractions. Yes, you can—if you do

everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your

life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions

override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical,

self-centred, and irritable. Do you see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life? If you can manage

this, that’s all even the gods can ask of you.”- Marco Aurelio

When you don’t live in the present moment, you fail to enjoy the results of the moment. You lose the excitement and do things perfunctorily.
Marco Aurelio warns us that not living in the present means you will never connect 100% with your task. You will not do justice with your abilities.
You are a unit of society. The whole comprises a collection of units. When units are weak, the kingdom will grow weak.
You have to show your composure in life and be stoic. If you override your emotions, you will always be volatile.
You can take a cue from God. You don’t require everything to live this life. There is only a fistful of things which are required for your survival. Don’t run after materialistic things. They will distract you and dissatisfy you in life.

5- What Others Think About You Is None Of Your Business

“We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.” – Marco Aurelio

Marcus Aurelius says that we naturally love ourselves more than anything else. But we fall to what others say about us.
If we get hurt by other people’s opinions, we are living a dangerous life. Any sentence, remark, or person can easily derail us from our mission.
We will continuously be looking for validations from others. It will shake our confidence and curtail our progress.
Many people never begin anything new and constructive in their life because they don’t get approval from others. All good things which can happen in their life stop from taking place.
We should believe in ourselves. Others’ opinions do matter but they must not be in the driving seat. We should take them, process them and filter them before accepting them as a reality.

6- Failure Means Try More. Don’t Quit

“Not to feel exasperated, defeated, or despondent because your days aren’t packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human—however imperfectly—and fully embrace the pursuit that you’ve embarked on.”- Marco Aurelio

Marco Aurelio says that don’t grudge against past decisions and activities. They will enchain you and give you no freedom. You will feel bad.
Failure means you are trying new things. It doesn’t mean, you are a loser. Don’t feel low or bad when you don’t get the desired results of your actions.
Don’t love the result, love the process.
When you love the process, you are not determining yourself with every move. You are following the pattern. You are focused and moving ahead.
When you don’t quit, you are consistent. Consistency pays. Those who win hit the last punch.

7- Happiness Lies In Moving Ahead

“How easy it is to repel and to wipe away every impression which is troublesome or unsuitable, and immediately to be in all tranquillity.”- Marco Aurelio

Marcus Aurelius says when you are laden with regrets, you are not innovative and creative. Don’t drool. Change ways
When you are not growing you are dying. So moving ahead is a symbol of life.
Happiness is the name of a mental state. It has nothing to do with situations.
Be grateful and you will feel contented. The more grateful you are the better you feel in life.
When you win over pain, you feel the lightness of life. When you feel happy, you spread happiness.

8- How Do You Want This World To Remember You?

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” – Marco Aurelio

You have to be extremely cautious in what you say and do
Whenever you feel bad about something or somebody, always take a second look.
Always think, if these words are going to be your last words then- how you have to say and what you have to say
You are born to spread love and happiness. Don’t be stern in your approach
Your last words are your truth. You always become real and God-fearing. Now revert and lead your life this way. Always be humble and helpful

9- Always Be The Driving Force Of Your Life

“Ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do…Sanity means tying it to your actions.” – Marco Aurelio

Marco Aurelio says that you always have control over your thoughts.
When you are listening to others, you are not in your full command.
When you are not the driving force of your life, you will always look to others for approval.
When you are guided by your actions, you are at the helm.
When you choose your actions, you become more responsible

10- Happiness Lies In Enjoying The Moment & Not Grudging

“Discard your misperceptions. Stop being jerked like a puppet. Limit yourself to the present.”- Marco Aurelio

Sometimes our perceptions give us pain. Our perception is our way of looking at things
Don’t be swayed away by your whims and fancies
When you live in day-tight compartments, you focus on today and not on yesterday or tomorrow.
You are neither overjoyed nor melancholic
It is real stoicism. You are not affected by emotions and impulses. You are your true master.