Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man

Marcus Aurelius on how to find relief

In this passage, Marcus Aurelius reminds himself to use his limited time to be an excellent man.

If he does that, he will clean himself of the detritus of the world and find peace.

2.5

Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what you have in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom and justice; and to give yourself relief from all other thoughts.

And you will give yourself relief, if you do every act of your 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 you. You see how few the things are, which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which flows in quiet, and is like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will require nothing more from him who observes these things.