6 Ways To Journal Like Marcus Aurelius (Stoicism)

Marcus Aurelius was the emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD.

He is considered as the last of the Five Good Emperors and one of the most influential Stoic

philosophers.

His work continues to inspire to this day, thanks to his daily journaling practice.

Aurelius’ journals were gathered together posthumously and were published as Meditations,

although it is unknown precisely when the work first appeared.

From his journals, it is likely that Aurelius often found it hard to get out of bed in the

morning.

He wrote about the inner struggle he had in getting started for the day, such as when

he wrote, “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have

to go to work–as a human being.

What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for–the things which

I was brought into the world to do?

Or is this what I was created for?

To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’”

Despite the way he felt about leaving his comfortable bed, Aurelius appears to have

done his journaling first thing in the morning.

He used this as an important exercise in preparing himself for the day ahead.

Journaling enabled Aurelius to take a step back from the pressures of being an emperor

and reflect objectively on the world around him so that he could ground and center himself.

Journaling also enabled him to keep his mind in top condition, as well as giving him a

record he could review at the end of the day to see if he really had been his best self.

The ancient practice of journaling has many practical applications in the modern world.

It is a form of daily reflection that will keep you focused on your goals and help you

live your best life, so with that in mind, in this video we bring you six ways to Journal

like Marcus Aurelius.

1.

Express Yourself Freely Marcus Aurelius says “Dig deep within yourself,

for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging”.

The Meditations give us an invaluable insight into the mind of a great and powerful man,

but that wasn’t why Aurelius was writing.

In fact, it is unlikely he ever intended for them to be published, meaning that he was

completely free to write whatever he wanted without worrying about an audience.

It is possible that Aurelius’ journal was one of the few opportunities he had to truly

express himself without fear of what the reaction might be.

It gave him relief from the pressures of being a leader and having to maintain his composure.

The level of self-awareness his journals allowed him to develop meant that he was able to embody

a fundamental Stoic principle: the only thing you can control is yourself.

Aurelius’ journal allowed him to reflect on how he handled the challenges he faced