The great Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121AD – 180AD) is recognized for his philosophical meditations, setting him apart from many rulers of that age. Last of the Five Good Emperors, his death was considered the end of the Pax Romana, and marked the beginning of the eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire. Yet even […]
Diseases of Attitude
Attitude is, as the old adage goes, altitude–and so much more. As Jim Rohn put forth in his seminars, there are numerous pathologies of the mind that can wreck all our chances to do well. Below are a few of the most evident ones. This is my own personal pledge against them, inspired by the […]
A Pledge Against Procrastination
Procrastination is a slow rot that eats away at the foundations of every good initiative one starts. Not doing something today thinking that tomorrow I will have the time is foolish–there is no time but now, so do not put things off. The road to “someday” leads to a place called NOWHERE. And how many […]
Thoughts on Doing Your Best
The feeling that comes when you know you’re doing all that you can. When you know that you’re applying yourself wholly to a task, to a mission, to a goal. Anything less and the seeds of doubt and that ominous feeling take hold–that lurking knowledge that you’re doing less, that you’re settling for less, that […]
Remaining Calm Under Pressure
Here are three ideas on functioning effectively while under pressure. Avoid the Rabbit Hole: Stop and do a threat assessment. Ignore the “What Ifs” and recall a similar problem you have dealt with. Leverage prior experience to calmly size up the challenge. The key is to deliberately catch yourself, stop, and do this–to not let […]
Here’s What’s Stopping You From Succeeding In Life
Yourself. Not the economy, not society, not traffic, not the weather, not the government, not your negative relatives, not any circumstances. Just you. But here’s the simple answer: you would be hard pressed to change what is outside of you, but it is perfectly in your power to change what is within you. In the […]
Stay The Course
Life is hard. All of human history has been opportunity and adversity mixed in an endless whirlpool of change. So, too, with our lives today. There is much to be seized as our own, and there is much standing in our way. We invariably choose a path. Our youth is filled with dreams and desires, […]
Thoughts on Fear
Fear is like a gossamer veil. It distorts what we see, but at the same time it is often light enough to remain beneath our awareness. Oftentimes we do not understand that a situation, an opportunity, or a change is not in itself a terrible thing, that the reason we feel so repelled, so unwilling […]
Seneca on Activity, Fear, Self-Love, Death, and Enduring Suffering
All of us can stand to gain from musing on the thoughts echoed through the ages, the ideas passed on, immortal ideas, the gifts of those who came before us and were students enough of life to not only think, but be generous with their thoughts. It is one of the greatest gifts of all. […]
Seneca On Taking Care of One’s Spirit
See, then, that the spirit is well looked after. Our thoughts and our words proceed from it. We derive our demeanor and expression and the very way we walk from it. If the spirit is sound and healthy, our style will be firm and forceful and virile, but if the spirit stumbles all the rest […]