At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”

So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?

You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

#philosophy

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Discussion

you reading meditations?

Not currently but it's never far from my mind. This passage in particular I like to repeat to myself any time I wake up in the morning knowing what I should do, what I need to do really, and feeling like a whining petulant toddler about just doing it. There is deep comfort in knowing that two thousand years ago a great emperor of the entire known world was dealing with that similar feeling.

My favorite lecture on that work is by Michael Sugrue, I think I watched it enough times during the pandemic to memorize it completely 😅

https://youtu.be/Auuk1y4DRgk?feature=shared

yes I've watched this a few times too

How is he SO GOOD!? If I had philosophy professors like that I would have paid more attention to the field in undergrad 😅

well because there is no other work for philosophy majors, so may as well be good at it right?

I've learned that it's ok to be lazy. If you can't forgive yourself you cannot improve.

Of course it's ok! It's more than ok I think, rest is vital to building strength and preventing burnout. Even God has a "lazy" day on the seventh!

But today isn't a lazy day for me. Shit needs to get done and that passage helps me build the fortitude to just do it.

Nice. Get at it! 💪

Accepting my laziness has made me actually less lazy because i feel too often that i should punish myself and that only leads to more struggling and procrastination.

Have not read meditations yet but it's somewhere on my list. Read a lot of other books that helped me a lot to get better at life and living.

It sounds like you've overcome some programming that kept you overworked and under-rested. I'm proud of you for learning to be gentle with yourself!

Meditations is great, but it is also absolutely ruthless. If you're in a place of needing gentleness it's maybe better to start with the lecture I posted elsewhere in the thread. It's much more palatable coming from Sugrue.

What other books have helped you a lot with life and living? I am in a place in life where I'm absolutely devouring that stuff and would love some recommendations!

Let's see..

It all sort of started out with "12 rules for life" by Jordan Peterson. This was quite confronting and blunt but resonated well. Sort of like a wake-up call if you will.

"Turning the mind into an ally" by Sakyong Miphan Rinpoche

"The subtle art of not giving a f*ck" by Mark Manson

"Stop reading the news" by Rolf Dobelli (i actually stopped reading the news altogether)

"Mindset" by Carol Dweck.

"Extreme ownership" by Jocko Willink.

Currently reading through "Thinking, fast and slow" by Daniel Kahneman and after this "Atomic habits" by James Clear.

Most were very helpful. I would argue Extreme ownership maybe the least and Thinking, fast and slow is on another level but still eye-opening in ways.

Thinking fast and slow is amazing, one of my favorites! I will certainly check out the others on this list, thank you for the recommendations!

After the last couple of days, I think I need to learn to love myself less.

But good message.

Thanks.

But Mike, how on earth will you do that? You're so loveable! 🥰🫂🤣

You haven't met me yet have you? 😂 😂 😂

It's true tho 🤣

🫣

Sounds like mind fuckeree. I agree. Like somebody is trying to gas me up.