1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:06,939 Marcus Aurelius was the emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD. 2 00:00:06,939 --> 00:00:12,780 He is considered as the last of the Five Good Emperors and one of the most influential Stoic 3 00:00:12,780 --> 00:00:14,280 philosophers. 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:20,210 His work continues to inspire to this day, thanks to his daily journaling practice. 5 00:00:20,210 --> 00:00:27,079 Aurelius’ journals were gathered together posthumously and were published as Meditations, 6 00:00:27,079 --> 00:00:31,680 although it is unknown precisely when the work first appeared. 7 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,140 From his journals, it is likely that Aurelius often found it hard to get out of bed in the 8 00:00:36,140 --> 00:00:37,250 morning. 9 00:00:37,250 --> 00:00:41,960 He wrote about the inner struggle he had in getting started for the day, such as when 10 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:47,719 he wrote, “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have 11 00:00:47,719 --> 00:00:50,650 to go to work–as a human being. 12 00:00:50,650 --> 00:00:55,960 What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for–the things which 13 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,199 I was brought into the world to do? 14 00:00:58,199 --> 00:01:01,359 Or is this what I was created for? 15 00:01:01,359 --> 00:01:05,269 To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’” 16 00:01:05,269 --> 00:01:09,479 Despite the way he felt about leaving his comfortable bed, Aurelius appears to have 17 00:01:09,479 --> 00:01:12,530 done his journaling first thing in the morning. 18 00:01:12,530 --> 00:01:19,329 He used this as an important exercise in preparing himself for the day ahead. 19 00:01:19,329 --> 00:01:23,619 Journaling enabled Aurelius to take a step back from the pressures of being an emperor 20 00:01:23,619 --> 00:01:30,110 and reflect objectively on the world around him so that he could ground and center himself. 21 00:01:30,110 --> 00:01:35,080 Journaling also enabled him to keep his mind in top condition, as well as giving him a 22 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:41,770 record he could review at the end of the day to see if he really had been his best self. 23 00:01:41,770 --> 00:01:47,560 The ancient practice of journaling has many practical applications in the modern world. 24 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:52,310 It is a form of daily reflection that will keep you focused on your goals and help you 25 00:01:52,310 --> 00:01:59,299 live your best life, so with that in mind, in this video we bring you six ways to Journal 26 00:01:59,299 --> 00:02:02,070 like Marcus Aurelius. 27 00:02:02,070 --> 00:02:04,040 1. 28 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:11,230 Express Yourself Freely Marcus Aurelius says “Dig deep within yourself, 29 00:02:11,230 --> 00:02:16,900 for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging”. 30 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:23,050 The Meditations give us an invaluable insight into the mind of a great and powerful man, 31 00:02:23,050 --> 00:02:25,050 but that wasn’t why Aurelius was writing. 32 00:02:25,050 --> 00:02:31,480 In fact, it is unlikely he ever intended for them to be published, meaning that he was 33 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,900 completely free to write whatever he wanted without worrying about an audience. 34 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:41,500 It is possible that Aurelius’ journal was one of the few opportunities he had to truly 35 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:45,780 express himself without fear of what the reaction might be. 36 00:02:45,780 --> 00:02:51,010 It gave him relief from the pressures of being a leader and having to maintain his composure. 37 00:02:51,010 --> 00:02:56,069 The level of self-awareness his journals allowed him to develop meant that he was able to embody 38 00:02:56,069 --> 00:03:02,709 a fundamental Stoic principle: the only thing you can control is yourself. 39 00:03:02,709 --> 00:03:08,030 Aurelius’ journal allowed him to reflect on how he handled the challenges he faced 40 00:03:08,030 --> 00:03:12,970 and put together a plan of action for when he faced similar situations. 41 00:03:12,970 --> 00:03:16,230 Many modern leaders recognize the value of journaling. 42 00:03:16,230 --> 00:03:22,319 Powerful people such as John D. Rockefeller, George Patton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, 43 00:03:22,319 --> 00:03:28,870 Ronald Reagan, and Winston Churchill all kept journals as part of their daily routine. 44 00:03:28,870 --> 00:03:35,019 A journal is the place where you dig deep into themes and concepts, an active tool for 45 00:03:35,019 --> 00:03:38,769 you to use to improve yourself and achieve your goals. 46 00:03:38,769 --> 00:03:43,450 For example, you might use your journal to keep track of your personal goals and note 47 00:03:43,450 --> 00:03:49,290 your progress towards them, or you might use it to uncover subconscious thoughts and priorities 48 00:03:49,290 --> 00:03:51,549 which are driving you as a person. 49 00:03:51,549 --> 00:03:56,879 For this reason, many people find journal prompts useful to help them get the most out 50 00:03:56,879 --> 00:03:58,849 of their journal. 51 00:03:58,849 --> 00:04:04,230 You can use the same prompts every day, such as noting what you learned that day, what 52 00:04:04,230 --> 00:04:08,590 worked, and what didn’t, or you can use a different prompt to uncover what’s on 53 00:04:08,590 --> 00:04:10,030 your mind. 54 00:04:10,030 --> 00:04:16,130 You might ask yourself a question like ‘what matters to me?’ then set a timer and write 55 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:19,750 for five minutes to see what comes out. 56 00:04:19,750 --> 00:04:23,200 You can also use your journal to plan your activities. 57 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:28,320 You might like to set daily goals, weekly goals, and annual goals, and check in with 58 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,330 your journal about your progress. 59 00:04:31,330 --> 00:04:35,800 Sometimes when you feel that what you’re doing isn’t making any difference, it’s 60 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:40,670 good to look back over a journal to see just how far you’ve come. 61 00:04:40,670 --> 00:04:47,000 If you are unsure about how to start journaling, ask yourself, when you die, will you have 62 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,380 lived your best life? 63 00:04:49,380 --> 00:04:53,350 What would those around you say about your character and actions? 64 00:04:53,350 --> 00:04:58,110 In your journal, you can make a point every day of noting what people would say about 65 00:04:58,110 --> 00:05:00,800 you if you happened to die that day. 66 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,520 Would they remember you the way you want to be remembered? 67 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:09,470 G Where there is life there is hope and you always have the chance to change your ways 68 00:05:09,470 --> 00:05:12,160 to leave a legacy you can be proud of. 69 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:18,470 While it might appear to be morbid to focus so heavily on death, it can be a truly life 70 00:05:18,470 --> 00:05:20,810 affirming activity. 71 00:05:20,810 --> 00:05:25,850 The Stoics viewed every day they had as a blessing and understanding that your time 72 00:05:25,850 --> 00:05:30,350 here is limited and that it is up to you to make the most of it while you’re here is 73 00:05:30,350 --> 00:05:33,130 key to being Stoic. 74 00:05:33,130 --> 00:05:38,380 You can use your journal to examine this subject from a number of angles. 75 00:05:38,380 --> 00:05:42,160 Perhaps there are ambitions and dreams you had when you were younger that you haven’t 76 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,150 yet fulfilled. 77 00:05:44,150 --> 00:05:46,380 Maybe you’ve even given up on them. 78 00:05:46,380 --> 00:05:51,840 Your journal allows you to identify these and put in place an action plan to make them 79 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:53,960 a reality. 80 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,660 Even if you don’t see any way in which they can be possible, the simple act of choosing 81 00:05:58,660 --> 00:06:03,940 to live your best life while you’re here can make a huge difference to your experiences 82 00:06:03,940 --> 00:06:05,970 and attitudes. 83 00:06:05,970 --> 00:06:07,780 2. 84 00:06:07,780 --> 00:06:14,250 Write about your sage Marcus Aurelius tells us “Mastery of reading 85 00:06:14,250 --> 00:06:17,430 and writing requires a master. 86 00:06:17,430 --> 00:06:24,010 Still, more so life” The sage is someone who is considered to be 87 00:06:24,010 --> 00:06:26,470 a good and virtuous person. 88 00:06:26,470 --> 00:06:31,580 In classical philosophy a sage is someone who is considered to be wise or experienced 89 00:06:31,580 --> 00:06:37,240 in a certain field, and who is revered for their wisdom, judgment, and expertise. 90 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,410 For many people this is a role model. 91 00:06:41,410 --> 00:06:46,600 Stoics spent time contemplating on their sages and whether their own actions were consistent 92 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,840 with those of their sage. 93 00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:55,430 Marcus Aurelius’ sage was Zeno, the founder of Stoic philosophy, and he would often ask 94 00:06:55,430 --> 00:06:59,400 himself ‘What would Zeno do?’ 95 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:04,290 To start with this exercise, all you need to do is identify your role models. 96 00:07:04,290 --> 00:07:10,870 It could be anyone from your favorite superhero to your favorite character on a TV show. 97 00:07:10,870 --> 00:07:16,220 They could be your friend or a relative you admire, a great philosopher or even the leaders 98 00:07:16,220 --> 00:07:20,100 you respect in your industry or organization. 99 00:07:20,100 --> 00:07:25,940 After you identify them, ask yourself – what are the qualities in them that make them so 100 00:07:25,940 --> 00:07:27,590 ideal? 101 00:07:27,590 --> 00:07:32,620 In your journal, write down all of your role models, past or present, and the best qualities 102 00:07:32,620 --> 00:07:37,870 of these individuals, discarding their negative character traits. 103 00:07:37,870 --> 00:07:43,240 Once you have everything written down, spend 5-10 minutes every morning visualizing how 104 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:47,639 they would go about dealing with the different aspects of their day. 105 00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:52,020 You can also write down your favorite quotes or important principles of any philosophy 106 00:07:52,020 --> 00:07:57,710 you wish to follow and read them out every morning before you start your day. 107 00:07:57,710 --> 00:08:02,860 This act of journaling, of reminding yourself each day about your role models and the important 108 00:08:02,860 --> 00:08:08,620 principles they espouse will serve you as a meditative experience. 109 00:08:08,620 --> 00:08:13,890 The idea behind this exercise is to see whether your actions are in line with your role models. 110 00:08:13,890 --> 00:08:20,500 If so, and if you repeat this wisdom over and over again, it will soon become muscle 111 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:25,490 memory and you will start acting like the people you admire in the way that you think, 112 00:08:25,490 --> 00:08:30,070 the way you talk and of course, the way you act. 113 00:08:30,070 --> 00:08:32,240 3. 114 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:38,700 Write about the worst possible outcome According to Marcus Aurelius “When you wake 115 00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:44,880 up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, 116 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:51,520 arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly”. 117 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,440 Marcus Aurelius, despite being a man of great temperance and discipline, is said to have 118 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:02,590 practiced the technique of negative visualization as a part of his morning routine. 119 00:09:02,590 --> 00:09:07,740 Each morning he would write down all the negative qualities people could exhibit, and reminded 120 00:09:07,740 --> 00:09:12,380 himself that none of them could hurt him or make him feel angry. 121 00:09:12,380 --> 00:09:17,110 This way he prepared himself for the people he might encounter, and was ready to handle 122 00:09:17,110 --> 00:09:21,720 anyone, no matter how difficult or abrasive they may be. 123 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:27,020 By visualizing the negative qualities of people, he was practicing the principle of 124 00:09:27,020 --> 00:09:29,890 dichotomy of control. 125 00:09:29,890 --> 00:09:35,530 The dichotomy of control is the Stoic idea of separating things that are within our control, 126 00:09:35,530 --> 00:09:42,010 from the things that are outside of our control.Things that are within your control are your thoughts 127 00:09:42,010 --> 00:09:48,080 like your opinions, your goals or your desires and your actions like how you pursue your 128 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,410 goals or how you react to events. 129 00:09:51,410 --> 00:09:56,770 Things that are outside of your control is everything else like the outcome of an event, 130 00:09:56,770 --> 00:10:01,440 your wealth, your health, the past or your reputation. 131 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:06,900 The idea behind this principal is to focus on the things you can control. 132 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:11,680 So the only thing we can do when things go wrong is to react in the most appropriate 133 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:14,740 manner, without frustration or anger. 134 00:10:14,740 --> 00:10:20,750 But it can often be difficult to act in an appropriate manner when misfortune catches 135 00:10:20,750 --> 00:10:22,440 you off guard. 136 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,240 This is where morning preparation journaling can become useful. 137 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:31,630 All you have to do is take a couple of minutes each morning and write down all the things 138 00:10:31,630 --> 00:10:33,680 that could go wrong in your day. 139 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:37,990 If you have a rough idea of what your day looks like, then it shouldn’t be difficult 140 00:10:37,990 --> 00:10:41,550 to think about things that could potentially go wrong. 141 00:10:41,550 --> 00:10:47,110 An important presentation, exam, or first date are all the things you can write down 142 00:10:47,110 --> 00:10:50,620 as potential encounters with misfortune. 143 00:10:50,620 --> 00:10:55,760 You could forget your USB stick that has your presentation, mess up your exam, or have an 144 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,320 allergic reaction in the middle of that date. 145 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:04,050 Once you have written the things that could go wrong, remind yourself not to worry and 146 00:11:04,050 --> 00:11:08,700 start thinking of ways you can best handle the situation if it arises. 147 00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:14,200 This way you are preparing yourself to handle such events, and when the inevitable mishap 148 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:21,430 happens, it will be easier for you to go into problem-solving mode or accept it with equanimity, 149 00:11:21,430 --> 00:11:23,970 instead of sulking about it. 150 00:11:23,970 --> 00:11:27,880 You can also use negative visualization to face your fears. 151 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:35,420 There are many forms of negative visualization and one of its variations is fear-setting. 152 00:11:35,420 --> 00:11:41,030 Fear-setting is all about defining your fears and conquering them. 153 00:11:41,030 --> 00:11:43,530 Fear setting is not a daily exercise. 154 00:11:43,530 --> 00:11:48,760 It is only done once in a while or when there is something you’re unsure or afraid about 155 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:50,560 pursuing. 156 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:57,410 Here are the four steps of fear setting: Step 1 – Write down the thing you’re unsure 157 00:11:57,410 --> 00:11:59,779 or afraid of doing. 158 00:11:59,779 --> 00:12:05,560 It could be anything like standing up to your bully, asking someone out or quitting college 159 00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:12,390 to work on a startup Step 2 – Write down the worst that could 160 00:12:12,390 --> 00:12:13,390 happen. 161 00:12:13,390 --> 00:12:19,240 If you confront your bully, you could get beaten up, if you ask someone out, they could 162 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:26,340 turn you down, or your business venture could fail after investing money, time and resources 163 00:12:26,340 --> 00:12:27,779 on it. 164 00:12:27,779 --> 00:12:34,540 Step 3 – Write down what you could do if the worst-case scenario happens. 165 00:12:34,540 --> 00:12:38,000 If you get in a fight, you may get a few bruises. 166 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:43,930 If you get rejected, you can move on or if your venture fails, you could go back to school 167 00:12:43,930 --> 00:12:48,320 or take what you’ve learned and work on a new business idea. 168 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:52,940 Step 4 – Write down the best-case scenario. 169 00:12:52,940 --> 00:12:54,940 Your bully will stop bullying you. 170 00:12:54,940 --> 00:12:57,600 The person you ask out says yes. 171 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,650 Your startup succeeds. 172 00:13:00,650 --> 00:13:06,370 By following the four steps, you will realize that the worst-case scenario is not that bad, 173 00:13:06,370 --> 00:13:10,640 and the best-case scenario is worth the risk. 174 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:15,540 Fear setting can be tremendously helpful when you’re unsure about taking a risk in life 175 00:13:15,540 --> 00:13:20,400 because it not only prepares you for the worst case scenarios but it also gives you the courage 176 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,760 to take necessary leaps of faith in life. 177 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:26,960 4. 178 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:31,930 Reflect on your day In the words of Marcus Aurelius “These are 179 00:13:31,930 --> 00:13:40,710 the characteristics of the rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination, and self-determination. 180 00:13:40,710 --> 00:13:44,150 It reaps its own harvest…. 181 00:13:44,150 --> 00:13:48,540 It succeeds in its own purpose…” 182 00:13:48,540 --> 00:13:53,540 In addition to journaling in the morning, the Stoics also saw the value in writing for 183 00:13:53,540 --> 00:13:56,160 a short time in the evening. 184 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:00,880 The purpose was usually to review the events of the day so that you can work on improving 185 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,060 your flaws. 186 00:14:03,060 --> 00:14:06,930 Journaling gave Marcus Aurelius a record he could review at the end of the day to see 187 00:14:06,930 --> 00:14:10,560 if he really had been his best self. 188 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:16,520 If you wish to become a better person, first, you need to be aware of your faults; that 189 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,100 is what nightly reflections are for. 190 00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:23,640 We too can start reflecting on our days. 191 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,770 Ask yourselves questions like - 1. 192 00:14:25,770 --> 00:14:27,180 What did I do well today? 193 00:14:27,180 --> 00:14:28,180 2. 194 00:14:28,180 --> 00:14:29,400 What did I do wrong today? 195 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:30,400 3. 196 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,800 Did I embody the quality of my sage in my actions? 197 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:34,800 4. 198 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,920 How can I improve? 199 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:43,490 To answer each question, you need to go through your day in your mind and consider all of 200 00:14:43,490 --> 00:14:46,480 your actions throughout. 201 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:51,370 Think about when you followed your good habit, or reacted to something rationally instead 202 00:14:51,370 --> 00:14:52,910 of acting out. 203 00:14:52,910 --> 00:14:58,360 Also, consider the times when you gave into your temptations and continued a bad habit 204 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:01,520 or let your emotions get the better of you. 205 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,589 Then think about what aspect of your actions you could improve. 206 00:15:05,589 --> 00:15:10,310 It could be anything from spending quality time with your family to being more honest 207 00:15:10,310 --> 00:15:14,130 and having the courage to say no. 208 00:15:14,130 --> 00:15:18,630 Write as many answers to each of the three questions as you like but to prevent making 209 00:15:18,630 --> 00:15:24,200 this into just another chore, one or two answers for each question is enough. 210 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:29,720 You need to only spend around 5-10 minutes at this exercise, but if you do it consistently 211 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:34,830 you will become more mindful throughout your day to continue the good habits and not to 212 00:15:34,830 --> 00:15:37,390 repeat the bad ones. 213 00:15:37,390 --> 00:15:42,740 Soon you will have fixed many flaws that you once thought were impossible to improve upon. 214 00:15:42,740 --> 00:15:47,470 If you continue this for a few months, you will also be able to read through old entries 215 00:15:47,470 --> 00:15:51,970 and see just how far you have come since then. 216 00:15:51,970 --> 00:15:53,860 5. 217 00:15:53,860 --> 00:15:59,660 Be Grateful Marcus Aurelius writes “To the gods I am 218 00:15:59,660 --> 00:16:06,370 indebted for having good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good 219 00:16:06,370 --> 00:16:12,899 associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good”. 220 00:16:12,899 --> 00:16:18,720 The Stoics understood that gratitude is an essential part of happiness. 221 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:24,170 Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations said thank you to all of the people he felt he owed something 222 00:16:24,170 --> 00:16:31,350 to.In our modern world, we often believe that happiness is something to be chased after, 223 00:16:31,350 --> 00:16:37,350 something you get once you’ve achieved a certain goal or bought some expensive product. 224 00:16:37,350 --> 00:16:42,610 After eventually achieving our goals and milestones, we realize that happiness that we are looking 225 00:16:42,610 --> 00:16:48,170 for doesn’t actually reside there, so we go looking for it in the next one. 226 00:16:48,170 --> 00:16:54,140 The truth is happiness can only be found within yourself because it is not determined by any 227 00:16:54,140 --> 00:17:00,210 external factor and one of the most effective ways of “obtaining” happiness is through 228 00:17:00,210 --> 00:17:06,420 gratitude.We all have something that someone doesn’t, something perhaps someone believes 229 00:17:06,420 --> 00:17:08,810 to be their key to happiness. 230 00:17:08,810 --> 00:17:14,709 It could be anything from having some friends to family to having food on your plate. 231 00:17:14,709 --> 00:17:18,790 By appreciating these things in life, you will realize that you have much more than 232 00:17:18,790 --> 00:17:23,339 you thought, and there is no reason for you to be unhappy. 233 00:17:23,339 --> 00:17:29,700 There are two ways you can incorporate gratitude into your Stoic journal: One is to write about 234 00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:34,970 all the things you are grateful for in your life.You could be grateful for anything and 235 00:17:34,970 --> 00:17:36,230 everything. 236 00:17:36,230 --> 00:17:40,750 It could be your job, your family, the house that you live in, the food that you eat, the 237 00:17:40,750 --> 00:17:46,150 bed you sleep in.You could also write about how grateful you are for past adversities 238 00:17:46,150 --> 00:17:50,720 making you the person you are today, or write about current ones because they are giving 239 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,350 you the opportunity to grow. 240 00:17:53,350 --> 00:17:59,920 Write it down once and go through this list daily after your evening reflections. 241 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:05,160 The second way is to pick three to five things every day that you're thankful for and write 242 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,400 them down in your journal. 243 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:12,030 This could be anything from your colleague getting donuts for your team, to coming home 244 00:18:12,030 --> 00:18:18,930 to your happily excited pet, or simply just being thankful for being alive. 245 00:18:18,930 --> 00:18:22,120 Expressing gratitude daily comes with a lot of benefits. 246 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:27,470 It lowers your stress levels, gives you a greater sense of calm and a whole new level 247 00:18:27,470 --> 00:18:33,260 of clarity and as you continue the practice, you’ll be able to focus your time and energy 248 00:18:33,260 --> 00:18:39,480 on appreciating things that truly make you the happiest version of yourself. 249 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,400 6. 250 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:47,170 Be consistent In our final words of wisdom from Marcus Aurelius 251 00:18:47,170 --> 00:18:54,120 for this video, he teaches us that “You must build up your life action by action, 252 00:18:54,120 --> 00:19:00,260 and be content if each one achieves its goal as far as possible-and no one can keep you 253 00:19:00,260 --> 00:19:02,100 from this”. 254 00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:08,090 The Stoics believed that in an ever-changing world, routine is a prerequisite of excellence 255 00:19:08,090 --> 00:19:12,030 and good habits are a safe haven of certainty. 256 00:19:12,030 --> 00:19:16,990 They were all about following the system, their routines and repetition. 257 00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:22,110 They were all about knowing what the right thing is and doing it daily. 258 00:19:22,110 --> 00:19:27,730 Marcus Aurelius himself was a man of great self-discipline and was very consistent with 259 00:19:27,730 --> 00:19:29,420 his writings. 260 00:19:29,420 --> 00:19:34,280 He wrote the majority of the twelve books of the Meditations at Sirmium, modern day 261 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:40,140 Serbia, where he spent time planning military campaigns and strategy during the Marcomannic 262 00:19:40,140 --> 00:19:41,500 Wars. 263 00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:46,980 A few of the books were written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia. 264 00:19:46,980 --> 00:19:52,130 And, the internal notes tell us that the first book was written when he was campaigning against 265 00:19:52,130 --> 00:19:57,360 the Quadi on the river Granova, modern-day Hron in Slovakia. 266 00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:03,200 For most of us, with the ever growing demand of our modern world, finding time to write 267 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,660 in your journal can be difficult at first because it feels like another thing on your 268 00:20:07,660 --> 00:20:14,340 never ending to-do list, but after you get into the routine it becomes second nature. 269 00:20:14,340 --> 00:20:18,900 You can choose to write in the morning like Marcus Aurelius while planning for your day 270 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:23,490 or you can choose to write in the evening like Seneca as a part of your daily reflection 271 00:20:23,490 --> 00:20:29,050 routine but the best way to make the most out of this habit is to write for 10 mins 272 00:20:29,050 --> 00:20:31,760 both in the morning and evening. 273 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:37,090 This way it will be easier for you to prepare for the day ahead and review the day that 274 00:20:37,090 --> 00:20:38,950 just passed. 275 00:20:38,950 --> 00:20:44,820 Journaling will improve your life in a lot of ways but to avail those benefits, you need 276 00:20:44,820 --> 00:20:47,059 to be consistent. 277 00:20:47,059 --> 00:20:52,850 Say after watching this video, you start journaling and you do it for a couple of days, but on 278 00:20:52,850 --> 00:20:58,390 the third day you put it off, then on the fourth day you will say – I will do it from 279 00:20:58,390 --> 00:21:01,590 next Monday or from the coming month. 280 00:21:01,590 --> 00:21:07,850 Don’t wait for this coming Monday or next month to start with it all over again. 281 00:21:07,850 --> 00:21:13,970 Just forgive yourself for not writing on that day and start writing again from the next. 282 00:21:13,970 --> 00:21:18,710 A bad day doesn’t have to become a bad week, and a bad week doesn’t have to become a 283 00:21:18,710 --> 00:21:26,480 bad year - Your ability to keep going is what molds you into a disciplined and strong person. 284 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:30,500 If you know that you want to start journaling, but you’re struggling with knowing where 285 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:36,850 to start, then we highly recommend Practicing Stoicism by Jason Hemlock. 286 00:21:36,850 --> 00:21:42,120 It contains daily prompts and Stoic exercises to support you on your Stoic journey and allows 287 00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:47,110 you to build a personalized record of your experiences so you can discover what works 288 00:21:47,110 --> 00:21:48,720 for you and what doesn’t. 289 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:55,309 We are all on our own unique path and what works for one person won’t necessarily work 290 00:21:55,309 --> 00:21:56,730 for another. 291 00:21:56,730 --> 00:22:01,880 Your journal allows you to identify the positive impact Stoicism has on your life and build 292 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:08,090 on your achievements to take your life in new, exciting directions. 293 00:22:08,090 --> 00:22:11,920 If you are interested, click on the link in the description to get your copy and 294 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,850 if you enjoyed this video, please do make sure to check out our full philosophies for 295 00:22:15,850 --> 00:22:20,860 life playlist and for more videos to help you find success and happiness using ancient 296 00:22:20,860 --> 00:22:25,179 philosophical wisdom, don’t forget to subscribe. 297 00:22:25,179 --> 00:22:26,970 Thanks so much for watching.