Inspiration Quote by Marcus Aurelius — Inspiring Words on Life, Love & Wisdom

“40. The gods either have power or they have not. If they have not, why pray to them? If they have, then instead of praying to be granted or spared such-and-such a thing, why not rather pray to be delivered from dreading it, or lusting for it, or grieving over it? Clearly, if they can help a man at all, they can help him in this way. You will say, perhaps, ‘But all that is something they have put in my own power.’ Then surely it were better to use your power and be a free man, than to hanker like a slave and a beggar for something that is not in your power. Besides, who told you the gods never lend their aid even towards things that do lie in our own power? Begin praying in this way, and you will see. Where another man prays ‘Grant that I may possess this woman,’ let your own prayer be, ‘Grant that I may not lust to possess her.’ Where he prays, ‘Grant me to be rid of such-and-such a one,’ you pray, ‘Take from me my desire to be rid of him.’ Where he begs, ‘Spare me the loss of my precious child,’ beg rather to be delivered from the terror of losing him. In short, give your petitions a turn in this direction, and see what comes.”

“You have power over your mind not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

“Death smiles at us all; all we can do is smile back.”

“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind.”

“While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity.”

“Myths which are believed in tend to become true.”

“Everything in life is luck.”

“The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.”

“Only through our connectedness to others can we really know and enhance the self. And only through working on the self can we begin to enhance our connectedness to others.”

“To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.”