5 Comforting Stoic Quotes That Will Restore Your Sanity
Marcus Aurelius’ most encouraging lines
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius has been the most valuable companion to me ever since I picked it up three years ago.
It is the only book I’ve ever read that you can open to a random page and receive a wise word of encouragement without fail.
Marcus’ words have the ability to calm anxiety, dissolve anger, instill gratitude, uplift you or bring you back to earth.
When I’m feeling especially discouraged, fearful or in need of guidance, these five quotes have been like a ray of sunshine.
1.
Forget the future. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.
“Meditations” VII, verse 8.
I love this one.
It has calmed my nerves more times than I can count.
Anticipation of upcoming events can trigger anxiety and leave you dreading the entire lead up. It’s the uncertainty of how it will go, the worry that you don’t have what it takes to perform your best, that instils this trepidity.
But the present moment you currently find yourself in is never as scary as you imagine the future could be.
Marcus’ advice is a powerful recalibration of your imagination.
There is no future. There is only now. The scary upcoming engagement will happen in this same dimension of now.
And that's the best part about it.
All of your skills of reason and judgement, adaptation and problem-solving are available in the present. They are the tools you’ll still be able to use when these events eventually arrive in reality.
So there’s no use worrying. You’ll be fine, just as you are now.
2.
The tranquillity that comes when you stop caring what they say. Or think. Or do. Only what you do.
“Meditations” IV, verse 18.
He’s saying cut out the noise.
Think of all the unnecessary misery you've caused yourself by worrying about what other people think of you.
You can only imagine what goes on in the minds of others, and your guess is guaranteed to be wildly inaccurate. In all likelihood, they’re probably not thinking anything about you at all.
And why care what other people do? You’re not missing out on anything. They're living their life, you live yours.
Screw FOMO. Missing out is a fact of life, every choice you make is a decision to miss out on all other possible options.
You can only focus on one thing at a time, thinking about other people thinking is a wasteful and destructive use of your limited bandwidth.
When you stop comparing yourself to others, when you stop doing things for external validation, you achieve clarity and peace of mind is possible.
It’s freedom.
You only have to focus on one thing.
What you do.
It’s a quick way to demolish the comparing mind and get back on track with what's important — living your life fully and genuinely.
3.
Not to feel exasperated, or defeated or despondent because your days aren't packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human — however imperfectly — and fully embrace the pursuit you’ve embarked on.
“Meditations” V, verse 9.
You want to be a better version of yourself. It’s a noble pursuit.
You set goals, intentions, healthy habits, routines and moral frameworks.
You set out with good intentions, motivation and a list of rules for yourself.
But you fail.
And that’s ok. It’s unavoidable.
Humans aren’t robots. We’re animals.
You can’t just download new software and become the perfect person. It takes practice and effort to get better, and you will never achieve perfection.
Perfection cannot be the goal. Getting better has to be.
Progress is only possible by being resilient to setbacks. Not by feeling shame, not by giving up when you stumble, but by getting back up on the horse.
Marcus Aurelius counterintuitively but absolutely beautifully urges us to celebrate failures. He knew they were inescapable and that feeling bad about yourself counteracts progress.
See your low moments as a chance to remember your humanity and to recommit to your growth. What makes you wise is how you come back from disaster, and with what attitude.
4.
When you need encouragement, think of the qualities the people around you have; this one’s energy, that one’s modesty, another’s generosity, and so on. Nothing is as encouraging as when virtues are visibly embodied in the people around us, when we’re practically showered with them. It’s good to keep this in mind.
“Meditations” VI, verse 48.
You’re right Marcus, it is good to keep this in mind.
We all want to be better versions of ourselves. More kind, more open, more friendly, more engaging. And we all have our natural strengths.
Noticing the qualities in others we wish we had ourselves could be a doorway to envy, but it's better viewed as an opportunity for cultivating virtues.
An opportunity to graft your friends’ positive attributes onto your character.
A chance to turn your biggest influences into role models.
Allowing their best traits to become your own.
But more than that, there is a strong sense of joy and a welling of gratitude that comes from contemplating the good in others. You feel surrounded and supported by the radiant goodness of other people.
In Marcus’ beautiful words, you’re practically showered in their qualities.
5.
Not to assume it’s impossible because you find it hard. But to recognise that if it’s humanly possible, you can do it too.
“Meditations” VI, verse 19.
This one gives you instant strength.
It gives you the grit to try.
Imposter syndrome can quickly deflate your confidence. When you attempt difficult tasks or engage in a new activity you naturally feel out of depth. Marcus resets your intuition with this line.
Is this humanly possible? Are you not human too? Then by definition, you can do it.
Oftentimes the reassurance that something is doable, that it’s figureoutable, even for you, gives you all the confidence you need to push ahead.
It removes the element of doubt from your mind.
This quote is short and sweet and easily committed to memory. I find myself reciting it in my head before going into nerve-wracking or difficult situations.
These words of wisdom have been lifesavers for me. Worming their way into my mind, waiting patiently for their moment of application.
I’ve noticed they pop into my head as thoughts whenever I’m desperately in need of the advice they offer.
Quickly settling my mind, soothing mental afflictions and restoring my sanity.
Read them whenever you need them. Pin them to your desktop and copy them to your phone.
Learn them by heart, carve them into furniture, tattoo them on your skin.
Allow Marcus’ wise old words to guide you.
