Meditations, Book 7, Section 20

Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Clear away all opinions. Stop the force of wild desires and emotions. Focus on this moment. Look at whatever has happened to you or someone else. Break down everything you see into its basic parts. Think about your final hour. What your neighbor has done wrong — let the guilt stay with them. Think through whatever is said step by step. Let your mind see both the effects and the causes. Find joy in true simplicity and humility. Remember that all things between virtue and vice don't matter. Finally, love people and obey God.

Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Wipe off all opinion stay the force and violence of unreasonable lusts and affections: circumscribe the present time examine whatsoever it be that is happened, either to thyself or to another: divide all present objects, either in that which is formal or material think of the last hour. That which thy neighbour hath committed, where the guilt of it lieth, there let it rest. Examine in order whatsoever is spoken. Let thy mind penetrate both into the effects, and into the causes. Rejoice thyself with true simplicity, and modesty; and that all middle things between virtue and vice are indifferent unto thee. Finally, love mankind; obey God.

Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor

Don't imagine future things as if they were happening now. Instead, take some of the good things you have right now. Think about them carefully. Notice how much you would miss them if they were gone. But be careful not to become so attached to these present things that losing them would upset you. Turn your attention inward. Your rational mind works in a special way. When it acts with justice and finds peace within itself, it needs nothing else to be satisfied.

Marcus Aurelius — The Emperor Original

Fancy not to thyself things future, as though they were present but of those that are present, take some aside, that thou takest most benefit of, and consider of them particularly, how wonderfully thou wouldst want them, if they were not present. But take heed withal, lest that whilst thou dust settle thy contentment in things present, thou grow in time so to overprize them, as that the want of them (whensoever it shall so fall out) should be a trouble and a vexation unto thee. Wind up thyself into thyself. Such is the nature of thy reasonable commanding part, as that if it exercise justice, and have by that means tranquillity within itself, it doth rest fully satisfied with itself without any other thing.