Marcus Aurelius: “If, then, it happens to thee in such way as thou art formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, but bear it as thou…”

Reflecting on all this, consider nothing to be great, except to act as thy nature leads thee, and to endure that which the common nature brings.

But if it is easy to set little value on all these things, turn to that which remains, which is to follow reason and God.

But everything else, whether it is in the power of thy will or not, is only lifeless ashes and smoke.

The safety of life is this, to examine everything all through, what it is itself, that is its material, what the formal part; with all thy soul to do justice and to say the truth.