Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: Thou must hasten therefore; not only…
Thou must hasten therefore; not only because thou art every day nearer unto death than other, but also because that intellective faculty in thee, whereby thou art enabled to know the true nature of things, and to order all thy actions by that knowledge, doth daily waste and decay: or, may fail thee before thou die.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
Do not assume you will always have the same clarity, energy, health, and courage you have today. Marcus's urgency is practical: your capacity to understand what matters and act on it can weaken before your life ends. We often postpone meaningful work because we imagine our future self will be wiser, freer, or more motivated. Sometimes that happens. Often the opposite is true: obligations multiply, health changes, habits harden, and fear becomes more practiced. This is not a demand to race through life anxiously. It is a call to use your present powers while you have them. Learn the skill, make the repair, begin the work, and care for the body that enables you to act. Today, ask what your current self is uniquely able to do. Then give it a real appointment on your calendar instead of leaving it to inspiration.
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