Recap…

This book is structured differently from the first and personally, I found it a little easier to read. Like the first, it touched on a broad array of topics and seemed to be a journalistic reflection. Some of the key take-aways included:

Acknowledge the finite nature of life and reflect on what has passed.

Be present both physically and mentally in your day to day life.

Don’t hold on to unnecessary worries and distractions.

Recognize the limited time available to us to achieve happiness.

Happiness must come from within and is not possible if you do not have self-respect.

Focus on learning and guiding your actions with purpose.

Do not compare yourself to others and instead focus on yourself.

Be able to differentiate between sins committed in anger vs. those committed through lust.

Know that sins driven by pleasure or more condemnable.

Live life fully; free from fear of death.

Trust in the existence and care of the gods.

Reflect on the insignificance of worldly things.

Focus on serving the greater good.

Recognize that life is fleeting and all experiences are ultimately equal.

know that everything is based on opinion and perception.

See the value in the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of life.

Avoid actions and behaviors that diminish your self-worth.

Much like the first book, the second book of Mediations is rich with guidance for those who are open to receiving it.

What stood out?

As I had mentioned earlier, the second book was a little easier for me to read and digest. This is what stood out to me.

Marcus Aurelius had a clear stance on the value of self-respect.

More than once, he touched on the subject of self-respect and how compromising it or “disrespecting your soul” would lead to unhappiness. This tied into other nuggets of wisdom he shared including focusing on bettering yourself, not comparing yourself to others, and not being distracted or preoccupied with things outside of your control.

Acknowledge the inevitability of death.

Knowing the end of the road is the same for all of us can be liberating. It’s a natural part of the lifecycle and cannot be avoided. If we know and understand this, we can live life in the present and untainted from the fear of death.

My Take-Aways…

When I read this, I couldn’t help but think about the current state of society in the United States.

We are a consumer culture seemingly plagued with emotional and mental health issues which are exasperated by social media.

In a consumer culture social status and values are heavily influenced by purchases and the consumption of goods and services. Influencers on social media platforms market products using themselves and their families to make a buck. People spending time on these platforms are bombarded with images of these influencers and their peers who have the newest clothes, cars, furniture, gadgets, etc.

This can inevitably lead to comparing yourself to others.

“I wish I had that beautiful home and car.” “Their life seems so picturesque/perfect; why is my life a circus?” So on and so forth. This comparison is literally robbing people of the ability to find happiness in their own lives. And those who are doing the influencing could be sacrificing their morals and beliefs to sell goods and services to others. Trading their happiness and self-worth for profit. And so the consumer cycle continues…

Marcus Aurelius extends us an invitation to get off the merry-go-round.

Focus on bettering yourself. Do not compare yourself to others. Do not be distracted by outside influences and unnecessary things. Recognize the insignificance of worldly things. Live life in the moments and know it could be your last.

It’s an instruction manual to happiness.

So long as we have food, shelter, self-worth, and our loved ones around us, what more do we truly need? I for one try not to be a consumer of social media. I don’t have Facebook or Instagram. I post these blog posts on Twitter and am guilty of perusing YouTube and Reddit. Nobody is perfect. So long as we don’t fall in the trap that literally is our consumer culture, and we continue to improve ourselves and not compromise our self-worth we should find it a little easier to find peace and happiness in our lives.

What did you take from Book 2?

Thank you and I look forward to discussing book 2 with you in more detail. Until next time! free eBook of Mediations on the Project Gutenberg website.

Please leave a comment, and let me know what you think. Let me know how I can improve my website, writing, share topics of interest with me, etc. I would love to hear from you!