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Quotes About Contentment

From my governor, to be neither of the green nor of the blue party at the games in the Circus, nor a partisan either of the Parmularius or the Scutarius at the gladiators' fights; from him too I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander. From
~ Marcus Aurelius
One man after burying another has been laid out dead, and another buries him; and all this in a short time. To conclude, always observe how ephemeral and worthless human things are, and what was yesterday a little mucus, to-morrow will be a mummy or ashes. Pass then through this little space of time conformably to nature, and end thy journey in content, just as an olive falls off when it is ripe, blessing nature who produced it, and thanking the tree on which it grew.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Every man's happiness depends from himself, but behold thy life is almost at an end, whiles affording thyself no respect, thou dost make thy happiness to consist in the souls, and conceits of other men.
~ Marcus Aurelius
To pass through this brief life as nature demands. To give it up without complaint.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Thus there are two reasons why you must be content with what happens to you: first because it was for you it came to pass, for you it was ordered and to you it was related, a thread of destiny stretching back to the most ancient causes; secondly because that which has come to each individually is a cause of the welfare and the completion in very truth of the actual continuance of that which governs the Whole.
~ Marcus Aurelius
You have seen those things, look now at these: do not trouble yourself, make yourself simple. Does a man do wrong? He does wrong to himself. Has some chance befallen you? It is well; from Universal Nature, from the beginning, all that befalls was determined for you and the thread was spun. The sum of the matter is this: life is short; the present must be turned to profit with reasonableness and right. Be sober without effort.
~ Marcus Aurelius
So must a good ear, and a good smell be ready for whatsoever is either to be heard, or smelt: and a good stomach as indifferent to all kinds of food, as a millstone is, to whatsoever she was made for to grind. As ready therefore must a sound understanding be for whatsoever shall happen. But he that saith, O that my children might live! and, O that all men might commend me for whatsoever I do! is an eye that seeks after green things; or as teeth, after that which is tender.
~ Marcus Aurelius
where a man can live, there he can also live well. But he must live in a palace;- well then, he can also live well in a palace.
~ Marcus Aurelius
To live a good life: We have the potential for it. If we learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.
~ Marcus Aurelius
25. Try how the life of the good man suits thee, the life of him who is satisfied with his portion out of the whole, and satisfied with his own just acts and benevolent disposition.
~ Marcus Aurelius
And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with the portion which has been given to thee.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Remember this, that very little is needed to make a happy life.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Do, soul, do; abuse and contemn thyself; yet a while and the time for thee to respect thyself, will be at an end. Every man's happiness depends from himself, but behold thy life is almost at an end, whiles affording thyself no respect, thou dost make thy happiness to consist in the souls, and conceits of other men.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Everything you're trying to reach—by taking the long way round—you could have right now, this moment. If you'd only stop thwarting your own attempts. If you'd only let go of the past, entrust the future to Providence, and guide the present toward reverence
~ Marcus Aurelius
Meus caros amigos, os deixo sem revolta nem drama, mas antes de bom grado e tranquilo, já que é esta a vontade da natureza".
~ Marcus Aurelius
I don't know whether the gods hear and answer our prayers, or not. Either way, why not pray for the strength to let go of your desires and fears? Wouldn't it be better to be content with what you already have and to fear nothing? Try praying this way—for an inner change, rather than an outer one—and see what happens.
~ Marcus Aurelius
and to be easy and ready to be reconciled, and well pleased again with them that had offended me, as soon as any of them would be content to seek unto me again.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Reverence: so you'll accept what you're allotted. Nature intended it for you, and you for it.
~ Marcus Aurelius
If you seek tranquillity, do less.
~ Marcus Aurelius
No te distraigan los incidentes exteriores. Desocúpate para aprender algo más de bueno, y cesa de andar girando como una devanadera. Conviene asimismo precaverte de otra clase de extravío. Que desvarían los que, a causa de tantos quehaceres, se hastían de la vida y no tienen blanco alguno al que dirijan todos sus esfuerzos y, en una palabra, sus ideas.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Enquanto não observa o que se passa na mente dos demais, raramente se viu um homem infeliz; aquele, porém, que não observa o que se passa em sua própria mente, será necessariamente infeliz.
~ Marcus Aurelius
16. To live a good life: We have the potential for it. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Dost thou grieve that thou dost weigh but so many pounds, and not three hundred rather? Just as much reason hast thou to grieve that thou must live but so many years, and not longer. For as for bulk and substance thou dost content thyself with that proportion of it that is allotted unto thee, so shouldst thou for time.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Thy present opinion founded on understanding, and thy present conduct directed to social good, and thy present disposition of contentment with everything which happens- that is enough. Wipe out imagination: check desire: extinguish appetite: keep the ruling faculty in its own power. Among
~ Marcus Aurelius