Reignite Your Thoughts
No matter how far you have drifted or how disappointing your past behavior has been, your foundational core principles remain completely unchanged and ready to be reclaimed.
"Your principles can’t be extinguished unless you snuff out the thoughts that feed them, for it’s continually in your power to reignite new ones. . . . It’s possible to start living again! See things anew as you once did—that is how to restart life!" Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.2
Have you had a bad couple of weeks? Have you found yourself drifting away from the core principles and beliefs that you hold most dear? It is perfectly fine to admit it, because it happens to all of us at some point. In fact, it highly likely happened to Marcus Aurelius himself. That is probably the exact reason he scribbled this deeply personal reminder to himself in his journal.
Marcus may have been dealing with incredibly difficult senators, struggling with his troubled son, or facing immense stress. Perhaps in these intense scenarios, he lost his temper, became depressed, or simply stopped checking in with himself. Faced with such relentless burdens, who wouldn’t experience a temporary stumble?
But the critical lesson to anchor yourself to is that no matter what happens, and no matter how disappointing your past behavior has been, the principles themselves remain entirely unchanged. We retain the power to return and embrace them at any given moment. What happened yesterday, or even what happened five minutes ago, belongs firmly to the past. We can instantly choose to reignite our minds and restart whenever we like.
Common Questions
Can our core philosophical principles ever be truly extinguished?
No, your principles can never be destroyed unless you actively choose to snuff out the thoughts that feed them. You always retain the inner power to renew them.
Why did Marcus Aurelius write this reflection to himself?
He likely experienced his own challenging periods, perhaps dealing with frustrating political figures, family troubles with his son, or bouts of depression and lost temper.
How does a person officially "restart life" according to the Stoics?
By shifting your perspective to see things anew just as you once did, recognizing that past mistakes belong to the past and you can return to good principles right now.
Your Key Takeaway: Why not do it right now? Do not waste time mourning the moments you drifted away from your values. The past is gone—embrace your core principles and start fresh this very second.