The Meditations: An Emperor's Guide to Mastery - Softcover

Aurelius, Marcus; Torode, Sam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1548281301 ISBN 13: 9781548281304

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

How to think clearly, act purposefully, overcome obstacles, and find peace & happiness along the way.

Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE) was one of the few true philosopher-kings in history.

His father died when Marcus was three. At age fifteen, he was adopted by his aunt's husband, the future Emperor Antoninus Pius, putting him in the line of succession. At forty, he became a reluctant emperor of the Roman Empire.

Marcus was conflicted because the demands of being emperor--on top of the temptations of wealth and power--seemed incompatible with his true ambition: to be a humble student of philosophy.

Over time, though, he worked out a practical philosophy that kept him grounded amidst the stresses and excesses of palace life. That's why his philosophy is so relevant to us today, in the modern world.

How did he fare as emperor? During his twenty years of service, Marcus earned the love of the people and the loyalty of the senate. Later historians called him "the last of the five good emperors."

In spare moments, Marcus wrote the journal entries collected in The Meditations. They were not intended for publication, but to remind Marcus himself of his principles and priorities. As a result, they are intimate, direct, and extremely useful.

This new edition of The Meditations is an interpretive paraphrase in contemporary English, with a foreword, by bestselling author Sam Torode. (It is based on the 1862 translation by George Long.) A companion volume, The Manual: A Philosopher's Guide to Life, is also available from Ancient Renewal.

About this title

About the Author

Sam Torode creates books that entertain, inform, and inspire. He is author of a bestselling humorous novel, The Dirty Parts of the Bible, and several philosophical works, including Living from the Soul, Secrets of the Mind, The Manual, The Meditations, and Everyday Emerson.

From the Back Cover

An excerpt from The Meditations

If you are upset by something outside you, it is not the thing itself that upsets you, but your opinion of it. And it is in your power to wipe away that opinion immediately.
If your own thoughts are causing you pain, who is keeping you from changing them?
Is there an obstacle blocking your way? Make it part of your plan and turn it to your advantage.
What if it kills you? Then you'll leave this world contentedly, as someone who pursued a worthy goal to the end--not as a coward who gave up and stopped trying.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1548281301
• ISBN 13: 9781548281304
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 114