The above video is based on chapter 4 in Marcus Aurelius' book Meditations, if you would like to dive deeper into this for further reflection ::
In Book 4 of Marcus Aurelius' book called Meditations, Marcus Aurelius reflects on the theme of authenticity and the importance of being true to oneself. He emphasizes that each individual, like a tree, naturally produces fruits that are a reflection of their inherent nature.
This metaphor suggests that just as a tree does not strive to bear fruit that is foreign to its essence, individuals should embrace their unique qualities and strengths without attempting to conform to external expectations or societal pressures. Marcus encourages readers to cultivate their inner virtues, focusing on what is right and just, which will naturally lead to the development of character and fulfillment.
By understanding and accepting one's true self, individuals can contribute meaningfully to the world around them, much like a healthy tree contributes to its ecosystem through the fruits it bears. Ultimately, being oneself is presented as both a personal responsibility and a pathway to a harmonious existence within the greater community.
Potential advice that one could take from this ::
🐌 Act according to your own nature and abilities, just like a tree bears fruit that is inherent to its species.
🐌 Be genuine in your thoughts and actions. One should not live for approval from others but rather fulfill one's own purpose.
🐌 Cultivate the inner virtues you would like to cultivate. Values like wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance naturally lead to a fruitful life that benefits both yourself and society at large.
🐌 Acccept your circumstances and understand that true peace comes from within. Authenticity can lead to a deeper understanding of your role in the bigger whole that is life.
Sentences that could inspire you today ::
"A healthy tree contributes to its ecosystem through the fruits it bears. "
"Being oneself is is both a personal responsibility and a pathway to a harmonious existence within the greater community.'
'Choosing ourselves'
- We need to 'Choose ourselves'. I think that's a superdeep concept worth exploration in and of itself just those two words alone... Indeed when we choose to explore things we really find interesting we choose ourselves. We choose our own fulfillment above what is out there in the world like social media, people's expectations for us in terms of what they want us to contribute to the world... And thus we can contribute something more meaningful to the world.
- 'When you do things that align yourself with a higher value' you indeed change that world out there, because you start attracting more of what you value. You bring the outside world to a higher level in a way quite possibly by bringing yourself to a higher value, the value you really have to bring to the world. Like you said you are going to see things that align with that value and do things that align with that value. We literally change the world around us by choosing ourselves.
- 'What contributes to who we are' I love that. We do the world a disservice by not choosing what contributes to who we are, which also relates to setting boundaries.
- 'Don't make life personal, but intimate' that's beautiful... That's what authenticity is and causes in the world. When we take people's hate and such personal than we cannot have that intimacy with the outside world.
- Ego rarely knows what is valuable and seeks to control the future, it lives in the illusion that it knows what is valuable. But it does not. It's when that illusion is shattered that we can finally live in the present moment, and allow for a divine unfolding so we can be truly valuable to the world, and have a truly valuable unfolding happening around us. That won't just cause our evolution, but that of the world around us.
- 'We are truly beyond comparison'. Indeed we are all truly unique. Much more unique than many think they are. Maybe it's those projections that limit people and makes it harder for them to be able to experience their true uniqueness...
