Marcus Aurelius: “How many together with whom I came into the world are already gone out of it.”

Labor not unwillingly, nor without regard to the common interest, nor without due consideration, nor with distraction; nor let studied ornament set off thy thoughts, and be not either a man of many words, or busy about too many things.

Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busybody, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial.

For every judgment and movement and desire and aversion is within, and no evil ascends so high.

Enough of this wretched life and murmuring and apish tricks.