The oddest thing about reading the musings of a man who lived nearly two thousand years ago is how relevant those musings still are today.

Last year I began delving into Meditations by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (you may be familiar with the name if you have watched the movie Gladiator). While some of his notions are a little outdated, the majority of his thoughts remain applicable and relatable today. He was born to wealth and was destined to become emperor, living a life of luxury but also growing up very aware of his privilege. He had numerous family members and teachers whom he admired, though perhaps none more so than his adoptive father and predecessor, Antoninus Pius. Many of his musings were quite ahead of his time, and they have stood the test of time.

With everything that’s been going on in the wider and world and my own personal world, I have found myself turning toward the more philosophical side of self-help in trying to understand the world and myself, and man have I been humbled a few times by Marcus. I have found his thoughts to be inspiring yet sometimes terrifying, sending me into a bit of an existential crisis, but then there’s always another, more positive musing to placate the terror. He covers various topics and the book reads more like a diary, not necessarily meant to be read by anyone other than Marcus, yet it is structured clearly and concisely and is ripe for annotations.

I’ve been wanting a place to relay my thoughts on Marcus’s ideas, and so have begun a Substack series in which I tackle a quote or two (or more!) each week and dissect it/them according to my own thoughts. If you would like to follow along, you can subscribe and indulge me in some conversation! Otherwise, I highly recommend this book if you’re at a bit of a crossroads in life, much like myself, or in need of some guidance from someone much, much older and wiser.

Although this book has been around for hundreds of years, and in some form or another for a couple of thousand, it still seems to be vastly underutilised. I think our world would be a hell of a lot better off if more people read this book, especially people in positions of power. Perhaps it could help people to look at the bigger picture as well be a little more introspective.

Have you read Meditations, and do you have a favourite quote? Or has it long been on your TBR? Intrigued to give it a go? Head to Substack and let’s talk! ↓