Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, one of history’s most celebrated Stoic philosophers, left behind a collection of personal reflections known as Meditations.
I’ve got a video here for you to watch that explores these writings, which were originally intended solely for his own contemplation, were not meant to be read by others, much less to become a timeless guide for millions.
In fact, Aurelius wanted them to be destroyed after his death. Yet their accidental survival offers some wonderful insights into navigating life’s challenges.
At the core of Aurelius’s philosophy is the concept of indifference, which is a word often misunderstood. For Aurelius, indifference did not equate to apathy or emotional detachment. Instead, it was about maintaining perspective: the ability to focus on what truly matters and let go of what doesn’t.
“Marcus Aurelius emphasizes that we must be indifferent about things that make no difference,” After Skool’s animated series explains. “It is not about being numb to life nor is it about ignoring our emotions.
“Indifference is a separation of your higher self from physical reality, emotions, and thoughts. It is detachment from the outcomes so the rational mind can observe events from a clear distance.”
I don’t know about you, but sometimes life pulls me into an endless loop of worry, and I find myself obsessing over inconveniences or circumstances that are beyond my control. I hate it, but it hits hard for me because of the business I help run.
When certain things happen beyond 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.
“Much of our time is spent worrying about the small stuff,” Aurelius observed. “We find things to complain about or obsess over, not knowing that these things bear no impact on our life in the greater context.”
Aurelius invites people to embrace life’s transience. “Change is the only constant. Change is inevitable… Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own.”
This acceptance of life’s unpredictability isn’t about resignation, it’s about empowerment. By focusing on what we can control like our responses, our values, our actions, we can free ourselves from unnecessary anguish.
Probably one of Aurelius’s most powerful teachings is the idea that even in adversity, there is beauty. While it’s often easy to see the value of hardships in hindsight, finding meaning in the midst of challenges is an art that requires practice.
The video says: “It’s easy to look back and see the times of hardship as a meaningful experience. It’s much more difficult to see the beauty and the adversity we face in the present moment, but it can be done, and it’s an amazingly powerful tool.”
By cultivating indifference to what lies 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 just in its joys, but also in its struggles.
Aurelius encourages us to find strength in this perspective: “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
This is one of those things that I randomly came across that I needed to hear right now at this moment in my life. So, I thought I’d share it in case some of you could use it as well.
