8 Stoic Rules That Will Teach You Invaluable Life Lessons
Unlock your path to clarity and wisdom with these timeless insights
Life is hard when you don’t have a role model.
Everybody needs at least one source of wisdom to use to guide their life decisions.
Think about it.
Christians use the Bible, and Muslims use the Quran.
Buddhists use the Dhammapada, and Taoists use the Tao Te Ching.
Atheists use scientific knowledge, critical thinking, and ethical principles.
I decided to use a mix of all, and I found my role model in the wisest emperor of Rome:
Marcus Aurelius.
I’ve been studying him for the last four years and have read anything I could put my hands on. I’m using his Stoic teachings to become:
- A wiser man
- A better husband
- A more present father
These 8 rules from Marcus Aurelius will make you think deeply about your life, improve your mindset, and help you become the best version of yourself.
Rule #1 — Time is precious, make it count.
Don’t let time slip through your fingers.
You don’t need to obsess over how productive you are with your time, instead, I’d love for you to obsess over how intentional you are with it.
Because every thought and action you take will determine your life trajectory in the next few weeks, months and years.
Is your time driven by a vision and a purpose in life, or are you just letting it slip by?
“Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.”
Ignite the dormant ember within you, for a potential untapped is a life half-lived.
Don’t let your potential lie dormant.
You are not spending your time, you are spending your life.
Rule #2 — Each day is a gift, treat it as such.
Seize each dawn as an opportunity.
Life isn’t just about how many things you can accomplish, but about how grateful you are for the gift you’ve been given.
Being alive today means you’ve won the lottery, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Are you using each day as an opportunity to be your best and give glory to the gift of life?
“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
Embrace the unknown with a heart afire, for in its obscurity lies the canvas of your extraordinary existence.
We must treat each day as a gift and be extraordinary.
Rule #3 — Growth comes from facing challenges
Challenges aren’t hurdles but stepping stones.
It would be silly to expect a life without obstacles because, without them, we couldn’t test our mental, physical and spiritual prowess.
Whenever a problem comes up, tap into your inner resilience and face it. It might be hard, but facing challenges is what makes you unstoppable.
Are you avoiding the challenges in your life, or are you taking them head-on?
“The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Face challenges unflinchingly, for amidst adversity, your spirit soars, and growth blooms like a resilient flower.
We must embrace difficulties as an important part of our lives, it’s our job to do so.
Rule #4 — Focus and stop complaining to grow as a human.
Every time you complain, you become a victim.
Complaining makes you weak and full of expectations that life should be different than it is. This means you’re focusing on what is outside your control, which is a recipe for never-ending disappointment.
Regain control of your focus and accept things as they are to move forward in life.
Are you constantly distracted by your own complaining about people and events?
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
Sharpen your focus, and quell the murmurs of complaint.
A mind attuned to the present cultivates itself.
We must learn to stay still to find the power to forge ahead.
Rule #5 –Extract the good from your fate and be a winner.
You can design your future by changing how you view it.
Fate will bring us hardship in each season of our lives–but it doesn’t mean your outlook on the future should be pessimistic. On the contrary, if you keep an optimistic outlook on your life, you will win.
If you expect the “bad” and focus on the “good” you will direct your attention to creating the life you want.
Are you being careful with your thoughts about the future?
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
Fate weaves its intricate tapestry, entwining threads of joy and sorrow.
Seek the silver lining in every strand, for within adversity’s embrace, the alchemy of victory resides.
We must be optimistic towards the future.
Rule #6 — Choose strength, courage, and virtue over weakness and vice.
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of addiction these days.
It’s not your fault, but it’s your responsibility to take charge of this. Whether your addiction is substances, technology, or laziness, you can choose to take control and turn things around.
Find a purpose, and eliminate those toxic habits from your life to make space for strength, courage and virtue.
Are you being mindful of your habits?
Look within, for within is the wellspring of virtue, which will not cease flowing, if you cease not from digging.
The battleground of virtue and vice lies within.
Choose strength over frailty, courage over cowardice.
Let your essence radiate purity in a world tempted by shadows.
We must be strong and lead by example.
Rule #7 — Stay serene and work together, despite difficult people.
Train your patience to live a happy life.
Some people will always rub you the wrong way. They will test your patience. At times, it’s strangers, sometimes it’s acquaintances and friends, but most times, it’s the people closer to you, such as your family.
Are you being patient and empathetic with the people around you?
No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions.
Difficult souls cross your path, testing your equanimity.
Let patience be your armor, empathy your shield.
Together, illuminate even the darkest hearts.
We must stay united, that’s where our strength lies.
Rule #8 — Postpone nothing, stay present, and bring forth your best.
There’s no best moment for anything.
Why are you constantly falling victim to procrastination? You’re only doing this because of fear.
If you realized that your fears are simple illusions, you’d be sharing your unique gifts with the whole world. Tomorrow is never a given, so stop postponing your duties and act today.
What are you waiting for exactly?
Remember how long you’ve been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn’t use them. At some point you have to recognize what world it is that you belong to, what power rules it and from what source you spring; that there is a limit to the time assigned to you, and if you don’t use it to free yourself it will be gone and will never return.
Postpone not your journey to greatness.
Today is the crucible of tomorrow’s achievements.
Be the architect of your destiny, shaping the world with your finest deeds.
We must act now and show we’re men and women of action.
In conclusion
Many lessons can make you wiser, but these rules are incredibly relevant for us today:
- Time is precious, make it count.
- Each day is a gift, treat it as such.
- Growth comes from challenges.
- Focus and stop complaining to grow as a human.
- Extract the good from your fate and be a winner.
- Choose strength, courage, and virtue over weakness and vice.
- Stay serene and work together, despite difficult people.
- Postpone nothing, stay present, and bring forth your best.
Remind yourself of these when things don’t go your way, or when you feel frustrated with yourself, and they’ll help you refocus on how you think, feel and act.
Thank you for your time and attention.
P.S. If you enjoyed this read, you will enjoy more focus, leadership and entrepreneurship pieces from my weekly newsletter, The Focus Forge.
