“Here’s a way to think about what the masses regard as being ‘good’ things. If you would first start by setting your mind upon things that are unquestionably good – wisdom, self-control, justice, courage – with this preconception you’ll no longer be able to listen to the popular refrain that there are too many good things to experience in a lifetime.” - Marcus Aurelius, Mediations

I’ve been reading through The Daily Stoic for a while now. To be completely honest, I’ve missed quite a bit in the last month or so, but as I was waiting for something to complete at work I decided I would read today’s page.

Most of us, if not all of us Americans, have been told that we must work hard in school, go to college, get a great job, and start buying things to be happy. Now, our parents and other influencers probably didn’t use those exact words, but the sentiment was there. What we find, more often than not, is that money rarely makes that big of an impact on your happiness once your core needs are met.

Instead we should look to the things that are truly good in life: wisdom, self-control, justice, and courage. If we focus on these things, we can be truly happy, rather than trying to stay on the capitalism treadmill.

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