Marcus Aurelius on how to live
Dying Every Day (Day 126)
💀 Dying Every Day
Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year) is a podcast by the Perennial Leader Project. Each episode turns a selected passage from Stoic philosophy into a guided meditation designed to help you (and me) learn how to live.
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Marcus Aurelius on how to live
Welcome back to Dying Every Day (Stoicism in a Year). This is Day 126.
We beg for more years, but do we truly use the ones already given to us? Another sunrise, another calendar page—and still we drift.
The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius cuts through this illusion with this blunt question:
Why do you hunger for length of days? What good is added by more time?
He reminds us that the worth of life is not measured by its length but by its substance. He repeatedly asked himself questions like,
What use is it to live longer if you’re not using the time you have wisely? Life is long if you know how to live.
Writing from military camps and sickbeds, he knew better than most how fragile life could be. Yet he cautioned against wishing for more years.
He urged instead:
Focus on this day: do what is just, speak what is true, and embrace what fate gives.
Doing what is just involves aligning your actions with fairness and resisting selfish temptations. Speaking what is true means guarding your speech against lies, cowardice, or pointless chatter. Embracing what fate offers requires accepting circumstances calmly and not wasting energy on resentment. When practiced, these disciplines turn any day—long or short—into a full life.
Seneca shared a similar piece of wisdom:
It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough if we use it well.
For the Stoics, life is not measured in years. A single day of clear thought and right action outweighed decades squandered on distraction and vanity.
Modern psychology supports this ancient advice. Research on mindfulness suggests that focusing on the present moment can reduce rumination and anxiety, thereby enhancing overall well-being. Gratitude practices, too, have been shown to increase life satisfaction and resilience.
Here's a practical exercise: each morning, write a single line in your journal: “If this were my last day, I would…” Let this sentence steer your decisions. The goal isn't to create fear but to eliminate trivial concerns and concentrate on what truly matters.
Similarly, the Roman orator Cicero noted that “the life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.” However, the lives of the living are defined by their current decisions. You don’t need a century to lead a noble life; just this day, if it is used wisely.
We need to ask ourselves: are we pleading with fate for more years, while ignoring the present? Marcus urges us to change this view. Let today be enough. Live justly. Speak honestly. Accept what destiny offers. By taking this approach, you'll find—just as the Stoics did—that life is long enough if we know how to live.
Reflection Prompt
Consider reflecting or journaling on the shortness of life. You might ask yourself, “Where do I most waste time—comfort-seeking, chasing recognition, or idle distraction?” Or consider, “How might I practice gratitude for this present day rather than longing for future ones?”
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Thank you for reading/listening; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well.
J.W.
P.S. Catch up on recent (and past) meditations in the archive!
Thank you - much appreciated.
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