“Dig deep within yourself, for there is a fountain of goodness ever ready to flow if you will keep digging.”
MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.59
I love today’s quote in The Daily Stoic. So positive, so uplifting. It’s short and sweet, but definitely something that we need to remind ourselves of now and then.
But despite it being completely outside of our control, we nevertheless are all hoping that good things will happen to us, that we’ll have good luck (and that we will know what to do with it).
Why? Because we think that good things will make us happy. But the truth is, happiness doesn’t come from events, it comes from within. It comes from a strong soul and from working hard to make ourselves better on the inside. And that is within our control.
Not coincidentally, this is where goodness comes from too — from the inside. As Marcus Aurelius mentioned, there’s a veritable fountain of goodness inside you.
So go find this, deep within yourself. Good feelings and good vibes, yes, but also good and healthy thought patterns, good and ethical behavior, good actions for the benefit of yourself and your community.
That’s how you get happy and get goodness — and it’s actually right there within your grasp. Or, I should say, within yourself.
