I have slowly been thumbing my way through Meditations by Marcus Aurelius to gain a deeper insight into stoicism. I love the perspective and have enjoyed reading his thoughts while thinking of the context of being a “good leader,” of such an influential culture. The parallels in naturalism, balance, and temperance to Daoism resonates with me as it was the first philosophical exploits as a teenager. I have found that reading short snippets of something like the Dao De Ching or Meditations are best served with time to contemplate and internalize. Not every idea is a good idea. Reflection can help us navigate what is essential to our beings and acknowledge what is not.

So here is the first thing I read when I opened up Meditations this morning. I found it to be relevant to the world’s current state of affairs and, by comparison, even something seemingly insignificant as learning to play an instrument. Oh how you have to love the paradox! It keeps us grounded yet grants us freedom from our own thoughts.

In every pain let this thought be present, that there is no dishonor in it, nor does it make the governing intelligence worse, for it does not damage the intelligence either so far as the intelligence is rational or so far as it is social. Indeed in the case of most pains let this remark of Epicurus aid you, that pain is neither intolerable nor everlasting if you bear in mind that's has it’s limits, and if you add nothing to it in imagination: and remember this, too, that we do not perceive that many things that are disagreeable to us are the same as pain, such as excessive drowsiness, and being scorched by heat, and and having no appetite. When then you are discontetnted about any of these things say to yourself that you are yielding to pain.

This too shall pass.
Keep on walking.
(just 6ft apart)