Good and Bad

"You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think. If the gods exist, then to abandon beings is not frightening; the gods would never subject you to harm. And if they don’t exist, or don’t care what happens to us, what would be the point of living in a world without gods or Providence? But they do exist, they do care what happens to us, and everything a person needs to avoid real harm they have placed within him. If there were anything harmful on the other side of death, they would have made sure that the ability to avoid it was within you. If it doesn’t harm your character, how can it harm your life? Nature would not have overlooked such dangers through failing to recognize them, or because it saw them but was powerless to prevent or correct them. Nor would it ever, through inability or incompetence, make such a mistake as to let good and bad things happen indiscriminately to good and bad alike. But death and life, success and failure, pain and pleasure, wealth and poverty, all these happen to good and bad alike, and they are neither noble nor shameful - and hence neither good nor bad" - Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

The first part of the quote tells me to live every day as if there was no tomorrow, and that living in the present is essential. Additionally, it reminds me not to take anything for granted. The second longest part of the quote reminds me not to compare my own significance as an individual with others through meaningless measures like wealth or success. The segment that says "all these happen to good and bad alike" ties up the idea that no one is more or less special than someone else, what really matters is the purpose you manifest within your own life. Having a good life isn't synonymous with being wealthy or having great success, the same way having a bad life is not synonymous by the lack of wealth or success.

- Richie, Founder’s Class, Session 1