Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Changed My Life

By IslandSleepy

I’d had this book on my radar for a few years, but I finally read it, and it honestly turned into the most life-changing two weeks I’ve had. While I was going through it, my whole mindset shifted. I started trying to be more even-keeled, reminding myself that I can control my opinions and how I feel (at least more than I used to think), and basically committing to living more “the right way” each day. I’ve changed other parts of my life too, but I really feel like embracing stoicism is what’s made the biggest difference for my happiness. Even with all the uncertainty and missed opportunities the pandemic brought, I’ve never felt more content. My stress and anxiety have basically faded, and I’m not dealing with the same anxiety spikes or those repetitive OCD loops anymore. I really do hope other people can get a similar effect from it. One line from the second book that stuck with me was: “Fame after life is no better than oblivion.” Has anyone else had real growth like this from reading Meditations, the Enchiridion, or other stoic stuff?