I Added Three Words To Marcus’s Meditation And That Has Made All The Difference

It’s important to audit your beliefs.

Something changed the moment I read one of Marcus’ most famous meditations.

“When you wake up in the morning,” Aurelius said, “tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly.”

Someone, finally, understood me. Someone actually shared in my struggle. And not just anyone, the freakin’ Emperor of Rome. Knowing that he was the most powerful man on the planet and still needed a pep talk to deal with humans calmed me way down. Maybe this is just the way things are. People are pricks — deal with it.

Unfortunately, the mind has a funny way of twisting things. At least mine does, anyway. If I’m not careful, I’ll take even the most ethical practices and make them hollow.

And that’s precisely what I did.

Instead of developing an expectant compassion for all mankind, I saw myself as something different entirely. I was another species. Something new — better.

Then, many years later, I stumbled on this quote by Jordan Peterson.

“Everything horrible that human beings have done was done by human beings. And you’re one of them.”