Our rational nature moves freely forward in its impressions when it:

1. accepts nothing false or uncertain;
2. directs its impulses only to acts for the common good;
3. limits its desires and aversions only to what’s in its own power;
4. embraces everything nature assigns it.

— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.7

Your mind and thoughts are a product of what you put into them. This has never been more true in the era of the almighty algorithms that manage the infinite content machine on our behalf. Something I have come to realize is that for the important things to stick you need to revisit them as Marcus Aurelius does here. He knows these facts, and yet he chooses to reiterate them in his own journal for an audience consisting solely of himself. This is actually as powerful as the habits he outlines. Every time you read Meditations you will derive new meaning and insights than before simply because you now have new problems, challenges, and perspective.

Excellence is often a matter of habit, and that includes excellence of thought. This is the power of a journal, daily affirmations, and similar habits. Seed your mind with the thoughts and frameworks you need on a frequent basis. Never hesitate to revisit a book or passage just to marinate in the nutrients they offer.

Of these four lines, at this moment in time, I connect most with line four. Embrace what nature has in store for you. This has been a tumultuous year for many reasons, and it has been an extreme challenge to consider what was meant to be. Stay open to change, for it comes for you regardless. All you can do is decide how to react and manage what is within your control.