Marcus Aurelius On What To Say To Yourself Early In The Morning
When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own—not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book II
This passage is a terrific reminder on taking the high ground and maintaining the stoic mindset. Aurelius' words about those who annoy us – the “wrongdoer” - having “the same mind and possessing a share of the divine” for me provide a subtle, but significant shift in mindset.
I'm not entirely sure why, but keeping this idea in mind, I find it is in fact more difficult to be vexed by or judgemental towards others (which is quite something, given my curmudgeonly tendencies!)
It's important too that Aurelius precedes his advice with “When you wake up in the morning”.
Given the ease with which we can lose our way in the melee of life, I think it's incredibly important to set our minds on the right tack at the beginning of each day. As Henry Ward Beecher said:
“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.”
A key part of my morning routine is to reflect on my short and medium-term goals. I like to re-connect with the thoughts and emotions that inspired my goals in the first place. In addition, I think it's so important to make this a habit.
Taking a few minutes to set our mind straight is an easy thing to do, but it's also an easy thing to not do. When we make it a habit, we cement an action that protects us from drifting off course.
Do you have a morning ritual you use to start the day on the right foot? Do share your insights below.
Not other people make us angry.
We decide to get angry about other people.
Since we decide, we can decide to not get angry, too.
True, but it can take some practise :)
You seem to be of the philosophical way, so will follow you. Be prepared for long arguments if I feel like them ;)
Thanks for the follow :)
Inspiring! What a pity my brain is still turned off when I wake up, so that I can do only mechanical things like washing face and teeth, biting a cookie, drinking water, dressing and dragging myself to the bus stop — I usually am totally and really awake two hours later or so!
Glad you found this inspiring :) I'm worried about that cookie, though. Avoiding processed foods will help you enormously in feeling better in the morning.
The cookie likes my bites :) Thanks for the advice. Alas, I have lots of risky habits. I am worried especially about the fact that I sit for too much long time. But works and hobbies are of that kind which requires that :/
"I am worried especially about the fact that I sit for too much long time."
Yes, as they say, sitting is the new smoking. I spend a good few hours seated each day, so I make sure to get up every hour and move.
Just yesterday bought the book even though I've listened audio version. There's so much to learn from Marcus Aurelius and other stoics. Really nice write-up.
Some time ago I was sharing about how my morning ritual looks like. :)
"There's so much to learn from Marcus Aurelius and other stoics." - yes, there's a jewel of wisdom on every page of the meditations.
"Really nice write-up." - thanks :) And your morning ritual piece is great - I've just upvoted it.