Meditations Session 1: See that You Don’t Want to Stop It

Marcus Aurelius trained his mind to follow timeless principles.

In a classic Bob Newhart sketch, he plays a psychologist who has a simple treatment for all clients. For every problem, he tells the client to stop it.

If you watch the whole sketch, you will reach the point where the client becomes exasperated and snarls, I don’t like this therapy at all. You’re just telling me to stop it.

Newhart responds, So you think we’re moving too fast?

Suppose you have never read Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic philosophers. In that case, you might think they are “moving too fast” with impractical advice for stopping unwarranted thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Here is a story shared in class by George, a former leadership student of mine. A driver cut George off in heavy traffic. George's first thought was, “How dare he pass me like that?” Typically, George would speed up and cut him off, too. But then, for George, something unexpected happened; he changed his mind. George described his experience:

Slowly, I remembered the professor’s words about ego. Without realizing it, I was driving at the speed limit. Not a mile above (which is unusual for me). I even went to the point of putting on my seatbelt. It took me a few minutes to realize what happened, what I did, and what was going through my mind. After I stopped the car, I remembered what had happened as if I was watching a movie.

I wondered, what did the professor do to me?

George had not previously told the class about his problem with aggressive driving, so I had not provided advice. I heard what George shared for the first time.

Of course, I had done nothing to address George’s specific problem. George’s increased awareness did everything. Behind the scenes, the decision-maker in George’s mind practiced a principle we were learning, and the principle was not simply to stop it.

In Meditations, we see Marcus Aurelius training his mind to follow timeless principles; he does not simply tell himself to stop it.

In this opening session, I suggest a practice in keeping with Aurelius. This practice will pay huge dividends over the coming weeks and months; it can change your life.