I am currently reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a former Roman Emperor, who ruled from 161-180 A.D. In this western classic the emperor expresses his private thoughts on Stoic philosophy. It is very evident from these writings that he was a man of high ideals that reflected deeply on his own purpose and relationship to the world. His reflections are almost biblical in nature as they address the path of a meaningful existence. The portion that has impacted me most thus far was his analysis of the impact of thoughts on our quality of living.
Marcus states “Those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy.”
Why would ignoring the movements of our minds make us unhappy? The rationale behind this comment was not immediately clear to me. He continued:
“Do not waste the remainder of thy life in thoughts about others, when thou dost not refer thy thoughts to some object of common utility. For thou losest the opportunity of doing something else when thou hast such thoughts as these, –What is such a person doing, and why, and what is he saying, and what is he thinking of, and what is he contriving, and whatever else of the kind makes us wander away from the observation of our own ruling power.”
This immediately triggered within me my christian upbringing of “First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye”.and “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”.
This principle is clear across all cultures and generations; we are what we think. Where we spend our thoughts is where we spend our lives. Our thoughts can be compared to currency; we can wisely invest or carelessly spend. Such decisions dictate the wealth of our existence. Some prudent investments would include introspective self-evaluation, behavioral adjustments, and our reflection on how to be of more use to the world. Costly expenses that deplete our mental, emotional, and spiritual bank accounts are obsessive focus on what others are thinking, saying, and doing. These expenditures return stress, fear, instability and skepticism. In summary , the greatest thought investments are those focused on the beam in our own eye and, when appropriate, lovingly helping others on their own path and process for self-improvement.
I have wasted countless hours worrying about the unknown. I have grudgingly presented my side of the story to the mental judges in my head to justify my past or future actions. Such mental exertion has only harmed and damaged my internal peace and happiness. It has caused distance and separation from others. It has perpetuated the justification and rationalization of my own prideful behavior.
Those who “do not observe the movements of their own” mental bank account will, as foretold by Marcus, be unhappy. For that which he plants is that which he sows. If we are careless in what we think we then become vulnerable to weeds of resentment, anxiety, and addiction. The foundation for a happy and joyful existence is founded on monitoring and funneling our mental movements towards self-improvement and serving others. This is the purpose of our existence and it all starts in the private forums of our minds.
Comments are closed.