I think about this every so often. There are long stretches during which I stick closely to my principles and other times that I couldn’t be further from them. Sooner or later, no matter how far I’ve drifted from the things that I value, I always manage to find my way back to them. As I’ve progressed in my self-improvement journey, the times that I’ve veered away from my principles have decreased dramatically and it’s gotten much easier to act according to what I find meaningful. That’s why this entry from The Daily Stoic resonates more strongly with me than most of the other entries from that book, and I’m glad I get to share it with you.
“Your principles can’t be extinguished unless you snuff out the thoughts that feed them, for it’s continually in your power to reignite new ones…. It’s possible to start living again! See things anew as you once did – that is how to restart life!”
-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.2
Have you had a bad couple of weeks? Have you been drifting away from the principles and beliefs that you hold dear? It’s perfectly fine. It happens to all of us.
In fact, it probably happened to Marcus – that may be why he scribbled this note to himself. Perhaps he’d been dealing with difficult senators or having difficulties with his troubled son. Perhaps in these scenarios he’d lost his temper, became depressed, or stopped checking in with himself. Who wouldn’t?
But the reminder here is that no matter what happens, no matter how disappointing our behavior has been in the past, the principles themselves remain unchanged. We can return and embrace them at any moment. What happened yesterday – what happened five minutes ago – is the past. We can reignite and restart whenever we like.
Why not do it right now?