If you don’t use your time to free yourself, you’ll remain a slave.
That’s a pretty strong statement. Marcus Aurelius doesn’t make it lightly:
“Remember how long you’ve been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn’t use them . . .
“There is a limit to the time assigned you, and if you don’t use it to free yourself it will be gone and will never return.”
This is, of course, a reminder to stop procrastinating on the important things in life.
I’m not talking about what’s urgent—your daily to-do list will always be urgent. The kids have to get to the doctor. Your deadline is looming. That client’s frantic email needs a reply.
I’m talking about what’s important to you. In the midst of all that busy-ness, did you make time to work on your relationships? Did you keep your body healthy? Did you start that class you’ve been meaning to take, which you have a sneaking suspicion will add a lot of joy to your life?
Never let what’s urgent get in the way of what’s important.
But more than just urging himself to stop procrastinating on the good stuff, Marcus was reminding himself that failing to do so was akin to slavery.
That’s the bold part of this statement.
To the Stoics, living your life by rote—in a constant state of reaction to seemingly urgent stimuli—was a state of mental slavery. You’re not in charge of your own thoughts when you’re just ticking things off your to-do list. Nor when your emotions and actions are simply knee-jerk reactions to your external world.
You’re a puppet. A slave.
Demand more from yourself than that.
It’s too easy to plan for tomorrow. And the gravity of routine and stress makes it too easy to let one-hundred tomorrows slip into yesterday, and find yourself no closer to what truly matters. You’ve just stood still for one-hundred days.
But you’ve been given plenty of second chances to make the changes you desire.
Stop sleepwalking through your life and make them.
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Love,
L.