When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to alive.
--Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was the Roman Emperor from AD 161-180, presiding over a period of relative peace and prosperity while credited with being something of a philosopher, with his own written works. In perspective I'm sure that he was flawed and did some things...like persecuting Christians, for example...these actions we today look back upon most unfavorably: not cool at all. But in case you never met me, I also happen to be flawed in my own ways and I bet you are in yours, too. So anyway, I read some of his more famous quotes and found three especially worth mentioning...they mesh quite well with other and with Aurelius' recurring theme of personal responsibility. The first heads this article...here are the other two:
It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinions than our own.
The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.
All three statements rely on the presumption that I always have a choice in our present moment as to what I think and that the fruits (or harm) of my resulting action (or inaction) that affect my welfare and attitude is, in the end, my own personal responsibility. This stands directly in opposition to popular narratives circulating around society today such as the notion that I'll never get a fair shake in this world due to my demographic group and how it's been treated in the past as well as the present. Or how about the idea that I am a slave of my own childhood treatment and the core of my subconscious is hidden away in distant past traumas...there may be some objective truth to one or both of these notions, but dwelling on them will only frame myself as a passive victim of fate instead of a proactive conscious entity with the power to shape my own life and affect the world around me in a positive way. So each new day is also a new beginning, a convenient time marker to press the personal "reset" button and start afresh. Sure, it's healthy to take into consideration others' feelings and opinions, but I need to be grounded and centered about my own foundational principles and not just flow with the latest fads and nonsense because that's what the crowd is doing. And ultimately I do have the free choice to determine what I am thinking and as a result live a creative life with the inner contentment and joy that I am responsible for it...
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