Understanding Stoicism — II

Day 39 / 365

“In a little while you would have forgotten everything; In a little while everything would have forgotten you”

Another gem from Marcus Aurelius.

We often find ourselves freaking out about something only to realize it was not a big deal. And if it was, we were able to get over it in some time. And in hindsight, we realize that our worries were exaggerated.

In a little while, we will forget everything.

Sometimes we worry about what others will say. If we fail, how would we be able to show our face to others?

Yet again we would realize in hindsight that others didn’t care as much about our lives as we feared. Even if some people did give us a hard time, they did so for a little while. People are caught up with their own worries and insecurities. They don’t have time for yours as well.

In a little while, everything will forget you.

Think back at where you were five years ago. What were your biggest worries back then? How many of those still affect you today? I bet there won’t be many.

When something’s bothering you a lot, it’s a good exercise to ask yourself — would this matter to me 5 years from now?

If the answer to that question is no, then there’s no point in spending any more than 5 minutes worrying about it.

This story is part of my 365 Day Project for 2019. Read about it here

Yesterday’s blog — The benefits of Deep Sleep