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Marcus Aurelius was one of the last “good
emperors” of Rome — who genuinely cared

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for the well-being of his citizens.

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He lived in a time where death was prevalent—
and chaos was everywhere.

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He wrote a manual for himself which we now
know as the “Meditations.”

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Even though he wrote these words around 2,000
years ago — his insights still carry strong

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weight today.

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Here are some insights of his stoic philosophy
we can apply to your own life and make it

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meaningful.

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1.

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Ignore what others are doing
Marcus Aurelius says "Do not waste what remains

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of your life in speculating about your neighbors.

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Anything that distracts you from fidelity
to the Ruler within you— means a loss of

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opportunity for some other task.”

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It means that our time is very limited so
Why waste our precious energy worrying about

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our neighbors?

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Why do we care what they are doing, what they
are up to, and what they think of us?

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We need to ignore everyone and focus on our
task at hand.

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What is our task?

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Whatever is our calling on earth — whether
that means creating art, empowering others,

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or being a loving parent.

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Today with social media, we are addicted to
what others are doing.

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We waste our mental energy being envious of
others and comparing ourselves to them and

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hence feel frustrated that we aren’t as
successful as our peers.

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In order to stay focused and ignore what others
are doing, you need to take a break from doing

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anytthing that concerns others.

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Uninstall all social media apps from your
phone, and don’t check your Facebook, Instagram,

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or any other social media network for an entire
week.

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This does not mean to ignore your friends
and family but this experiment for a week

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will help you to devote all your time, energy,
and effort to your own needs.

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It will make you less envious, jealous and
you will stay focused in your own creative

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work.

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2.

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Your Reality is Made by your opinions.

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Marcus Aurelius tells us: “Life is but what
you deem it.”

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“Life is opinion.”

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It means that There is no “objective”
reality out there— we shape our own reality.

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We shape our own perception of the world with
our thoughts.

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No external “reality” exists outside of
our perceptions.

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The practical way you can apply this mode
of thinking in your life is this: see everything

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in a positive light.

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For example, let’s say that someone talks
shit about you to your face.

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Rather than feeling frustrated, you can tell
yourself: “I’m glad that someone is talking

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shit about me, it means that I am not boring
— and doing something interesting.”

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Furthermore, when people insult us, try to
harm us, or criticize us — it isn’t the

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insult which hurts us.

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It is our interpretation of what they are
saying which hurts us.

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If we interpret others’ actions as irrelevant,
how can we feel hurt?

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Practice it for a week.

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Interpret every action that happens to you
as positive.

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For example, if someone insults you, think
to yourself: “How can this insult make me

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a stronger person?”

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See every opportunity as a growth opportunity.

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3.

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Do less
Marcus Aurelius reminds us the importance

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of doing less in life— and cutting out the
superfluous actions from his life:

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"If thou wouldst know contentment, let thy
deeds be few,’ said the sage.

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Better still limit them strictly to such as
are essential, and to such as in a social

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being reason demands, and as it demands.”

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It means Many of our actions and words are
unnecessary.

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By not doing superfluous actions, we will
be less stressed.

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We need to cut out the unnecessary things
in our lives.

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The less superfluous actions, words, thoughts,
and emotions — the more focus we will have

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for what is really important to us in life.

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That might be time with your family, time
to do your creative work, or the chance to

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help others.

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For a week, always ask yourself: “Is this
superfluous?”

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whenever making decisions.

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You can apply this in many different ways.

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For example if you have social obligations
— ask yourself, “Is this social meeting

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superfluous?”

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Learn how to say “no” — and say it as
often as you can.

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4.

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Death is knocking at your door
“Take it that you have died today, and your

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life’s story is ended; and henceforward
regard what further time may be given you

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as an uncovenanted surplus.”

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Think about all the people who learn they
have cancer or some other disease.

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Once they discover this, they drop all the
shit they don’t like doing in life — and

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only focus on what is important to them.

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When we know that death is close, we don’t
waste our time.

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We don’t waste our precious leisure time
watching TV or other forms of passive entertainment.

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We rush into doing what we are passionate
about, and work that is meaningful to us.

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We spend more time with our loved ones, and
omit superfluous people and actions from our

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lives.

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Reminding ourselves of death gives us focus.

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Today, imagine like it were your last day
on earth.

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What would you do, and what would you not
do for your day?

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What would you tell your loved ones?

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Who would you spend time with, and who would
you not spend time with?

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What creative act would you do?

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What would you not do in your day, if you
knew today was the last?

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Constantly meditate on this — live everyday
as if it were your last.

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Because one day, it will be.

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5.

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You’re stronger than you think
Whenever someone tries to harm you, think

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of these words from Marcus Aurelius:
“How lucky I am, that it has left me with

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no bitterness; unshaken by the present, and
undismayed by the future.

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The thing could have happened to anyone, but
not everyone would have emerged unembittered.”

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It means You’re tougher than you think.

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You can’t prevent others from throwing shit
at you.

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But you can change your interpretation of
the situation.

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If you want to be a world-class boxer, you
will have to fight difficult opponents.

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You will get beaten up, break a few bones,
bleed, and as a result— you will get stronger.

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Lets be honest - life is hard and Sometimes
to live is an act of courage.

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Today, Imagine yourself like the strongest
person in the world.

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You’re stronger than others.

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Whenever others try to harm you, imagine little
arrows trying to pierce your golden armor.

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You’re a giant, and others are ants trying
to harm you.

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Whenever harm comes your way, remind yourself:
“Thank God I’m so strong, this could have

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broken others, but it hasn’t broken myself.”

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6.

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You are rising for the work of humankind
Marcus Aurelius tells us "A man’s true delight

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is to do the things he was made for".

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What were you designed for?

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It depends.

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What is your gift?

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It might be your ability to socialize, to
make others feel loved, your skill for reading

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or writing, your skill for research, your
skill for synthesizing information and data,

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your skill for making visual images, your
skill for empowering others, your skill for

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teaching, or your skill for making the world
a more beautiful place.

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Discover your gift, and figure out how you
can best share it with others.

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If you don’t know what your gift is— ask
your friends, family, or your mom.

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Think about your gifts as a child, and how
you can best use your personal gift to help

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those around you.

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How can you best empower humankind with your
gift?

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Always meditate on this, and don’t get distracted.

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7.

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Never complain
Marcus Aurelius says "Is your cucumber bitter?

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Throw it away.

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Are there briars in your path?

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Turn aside.

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That is enough" It means why must we complain?

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If there is someone who annoys you — just
ignore them.

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Unfollow them from social media, or just cut
your social ties with them.

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Do you hate your job?

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Either quit your job, or figure out a way
to make it less painful or miserable.

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We often cannot change our external situations
in the world — but we can always change

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our attitude towards it.

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Most of us don’t have much time, energy,
or money.

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Yet given our limited means, how can we make
the best of what we have?

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Instead of complaining about life, think of
how you can best use your limited means to

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do your life’s task.

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Let’s say your dream is to start your own
business.

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But you have no experience, money, or time.

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How can you turn that into a benefit?

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Perhaps you don’t have any dogma holding
you back when it comes to business.

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Perhaps by not having a lot of money, you
can be more creative to be frugal with your

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business— and create an economical business.

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Creativity breeds on constraints— so harness
your constraints in a positive way.

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8.

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You Can Live Happy Anywhere
Marcus Aurelius says “Let it be clear to

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you that the pace of green fields can always
be yours, in this, that or any other spot;

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and that nothing is any different here from
what it would be either up in the hills, or

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down by the sea, or wherever else you will.”

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What causes a lot of misery for many of us
is our homes, where we live, and the wish

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to be somewhere else.

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We might live in the suburbs, and wished we
lived in the city.

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We might live in the city, and prefer living
in the countryside.

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We live in the countryside, we might wish
living at the beach.

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We live at the beach, we wish we lived on
an island.

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If we lived on an island, perhaps we might
prefer the convenience of living in a suburb.

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If you were happy with where you lived and
the home you lived in — and didn’t desire

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to live elsewhere, or in a bigger or better
home, how much more energy, money, and attention

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could you have for better things in life?

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Write a list of the positives of your home,
your neighborhood, or city.

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Never think of the negatives.

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And likewise— think of all the other places
you would prefer to live.

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Then write the negatives of living in those
other places (the cost of living, traffic,

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pollution, distance from family and friends,
etc).

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And then seek to not complain about your home
or where you live.

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And dedicate all of your creative energy to
doing something personally-meaningful.

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9.

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Help the common good
Marcus Aurelius says “Avoid all actions

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that are haphazard or purposeless; and secondly,
let every action aim solely at the common

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good.”

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It means To be a honorable and purposeful
human being is to help others.

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To help others not as fortunate as us.

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To share our gift, our knowledge, and our
resources.

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Keep doing good towards others, even though
they may hate us.

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And once you help others, forget it.

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Better yet— don’t even be conscious that
you’re helping others.

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Marcus Aurelius tells us to have “no consciousness
of all of what he has done, like the vine

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which produces a cluster of grapes looks for
no more thanks than a horse that has run his

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race.”

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For a week, do good to others, without expecting
any praise.

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The pleasure of having helped others is good
enough.

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10.

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Be grateful of your blessings
Marcus Aurelius says “Do not indulge in

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dreams of having what you have not, but reckon
up the chief of the blessings you do possess,

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and then thankfully remember how you would
crave for them if they were not yours.”

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No matter how wealthy or successful we are,
we can never get everything that we want.

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Happiness isn’t having everything in the
world.

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Rather, happiness is being grateful for all
the blessings we already have.

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Count your blessings, and then vividly imagine
if you didn’t have those blessings.

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How much would you crave those blessings if
you didn’t have them?

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I hope that you can also integrate some of
these lessons into your life, to give you

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less suffering, stress, anxiety, and more
strength to do your life’s task — to serve

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the common good.

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