“All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment; action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way.”
MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 9.6
Today in The Daily Stoic we are presented with the quote above by Marcus, which highlights the three disciplines of stoicism: Perception, Action, and Will.
This is how author Ryan Holiday structured his book as well, in three parts to represent these disciplines. He summarizes these disciplines and how to adhere to them as follows:
Control your perceptions.
Direct your actions properly.
Willingly accept what’s outside your control.
Notice that Marcus’ quote above said nothing about the past, nor anything about the future. Again and again, his words remind us to focus on the present moment, for that is how we can influence future events — even if we can’t fully control them. And the past, of course, is beyond anyone’s grasp.
