Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: As one who had lived, and were now to…
As one who had lived, and were now to die by right, whatsoever is yet remaining, bestow that wholly as a gracious overplus upon a virtuous life. Love and affect that only, whatsoever it be that happeneth, and is by the fates appointed unto thee.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Live as though your basic obligation has already been met and the rest of the day is a gift. That does not mean withdrawing from ambition or pretending tomorrow does not matter. It means dropping the entitlement that says every extra hour, opportunity, and comfort is owed to you. When you see the day as a bonus, ordinary tasks change. You can be more patient in traffic, more generous with a child, and less resentful about work that needs doing. Marcus also urges us to stop fighting the fact that life includes circumstances we did not select. We may not like the assignment, but we can decide how to carry it. The question is not, “Why did this happen to me?” but “What good use can I make of what is here?” Today, treat what remains of your time as borrowed abundance. Spend it in a way that makes you grateful it was given.
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