The Blog

Have you ever felt that life was just throwing everything at you all at once? Like you’re in the middle of a game, and the odds seem stacked against you? If you’re anything like me, then you might find yourself thinking about historical figures who faced unimaginable challenges. One such figure is Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and philosopher. On the surface, it’s easy to think that someone with as much power and status as he had would have it all together. But was he really prepared for what life had in store for him?

A Mentor Like No Other

Marcus Aurelius had an interesting start. He wasn’t just thrust into leadership without any kind of preparation. He spent nearly two decades learning the ropes under the tutelage of Antoninus Pius, a former emperor himself, who was renowned for his wisdom and virtue. This experience was no ordinary babysitting gig; it was a crash course in leadership amidst the many intricacies of governing an empire. In that time, he learned the ins and outs of administration, political strategy, and maybe most importantly, how to manage chaos.

In today’s world, it’s incredibly easy to bemoan our circumstances. “If only I had better training,” you might say. But the truth is, Marcus Aurelius had some high caliber training! He didn’t go into the job without understanding what was at stake, or what the role truly entailed. He had fantastic teachers, philosophers, and statesmen, which set him up for success. Yet, despite this extensive background, his reign was anything but smooth, filled with turmoil that could make anyone crack under pressure.

The Storms of Life

While we often think preparation is the key to avoiding struggles, Marcus’s life tells a different story. His reign was marked by plagues, wars, the deaths of his children, and even personal betrayal from his wife. I mean, come on, how do you prepare for that? His life was a series of challenges that kept piling up. There he was, expected to lead with grace and strength in the face of adversity when everything around him was falling apart.

Can you imagine holding a powerful position while dealing with plagues that ravaged your people and wars that threatened your territory? And on top of that, here’s a man bearing the weight of personal loss. Undoubtedly, these life events would make anyone want to throw in the towel, saying, “This is just too much.” It seems unfair, doesn’t it? Almost like life was using him as a punching bag.

This brings up a good point. No matter how prepared you think you are, life has this uncanny knack for throwing you curveballs when you least expect it.

Life’s Relentless Nature

There’s a common thread that runs through the philosophy of Stoicism, the school of thought that Marcus adhered to. It teaches that life is a mix of both suffering and joy, and it prepares you for adversity. You learn to face what comes your way without losing your mind or your moral compass.

And did Marcus cope? Absolutely. At least outwardly, he did. Stoicism encourages you to maintain perspective and find purpose in your struggles. Despite the overwhelming hardships, Marcus had this extraordinary ability to take it all in stride. His reflections, primarily found in his work “Meditations,” reveal a deep commitment to the principles of Stoicism. He believed that no matter how bad things get, you’ve got to keep going, because what choice do you really have?

Finding Strength When You’re Empty

This brings us to the crux of the matter: how do you push through when life feels like it’s out to get you? When it feels like adversity is piling on and you’re running low on reserves? It’s tough isn’t it? Sometimes, you might feel like you’re at your very limit, with nothing left in the tank to keep going.

I’ve been there. We’ve all been there, right? It’s almost comic how quickly life can change. One day, everything is fine, and the next, it seems like your world is on fire. Whether it’s financial struggles, health issues, or challenges in personal relationships, those waves can hit us hard.

What do we do then? Well, we can certainly train. We can prepare. We can strategise and game plan how we’ll tackle whatever life throws our way. We can rehearse in our minds what to say, what to do, how to react. But even with all that preparation, there’s a good chance we’re going to find ourselves in situations where we simply aren’t equipped for the magnitude of the challenges we face.

More Than Enough

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but here’s the truth: often enough, our best efforts aren’t going to cut it. Sometimes “enough” just isn’t enough. In today’s world, it often feels like we need to find more, we need to reach deep into the very core of who we are and pull energy, resolve, and resilience from somewhere else entirely, especially when we’re running on fumes.

Marcus Aurelius exemplified this notion. He wrestled with the reality of his situation and persisted. He had no easy route out of suffering; instead, he leaned into it, and through his struggles, he found the strength to keep going. It’s almost as if he embodied that old saying: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

But this isn’t just about gritting our teeth and pushing through. It’s about digging deep to find that inner strength and harnessing it in the face of adversity. It’s understanding that, like Marcus, we might have to keep going even when we feel bone tired and ready to quit. It’s about raising our heads and moving forward, one moment at a time.

The Relentless Human Spirit

So, where does that leave us? Maybe you’re wondering how you can find that inner resilience during tough times. It’s not always easy, and it might take more than you think. Life has a way of tossing everything at us, yet there’s a certain beauty in that struggle, isn’t there?

Marcus’s life was anything but a walk in the park, but he understood that challenges were part of the human experience. No one gets a free pass; adversity is as much a part of life as joy and laughter. The key takeaway from his life is that we must be prepared to face the inevitable storms that come our way.

In Stoicism we find strength in understanding what’s within our control versus what lies beyond it. Embracing this philosophy means we stop grappling with the uncontrollable and work on how we respond to what we can control, our thoughts, our actions, our mindset.

The Takeaway

As you face your own trials and tribulations, be it illness, financial woes, ethical dilemmas, or personal heartaches, remember, life does not necessarily get easier; it will throw challenges at you but like Marcus Aurelius, you can choose to rise above it. You can choose to keep going.

So take a moment to recognise the struggles you’ve faced and how you’ve coped with them. Each hurdle has gifted you with resilience, growth, and, perhaps, a little wisdom. Keep learning, keep preparing, but also remember to allow yourself grace during the hard times. The journey is uniquely yours, laden with both suffering and resilience.

At the end of the day, life’s all about chaos and order, and how we navigate it defines our essence. Remember: take it one day at a time, dig deeper when necessary, and above all, keep moving forward. Life may be relentless, but so is the human spirit. So go on, keep going. Because, like those before us, it truly is going to take what it’s going to take.