What if you started each morning expecting that someone was probably going to annoy you?

In Book Two of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius begins his day by preparing himself for reality. He expects to encounter people who are rude, selfish, dishonest, or difficult—but reminds himself that their behavior doesn’t have to determine his own.

In this episode, I explore three lessons that stood out to me: prepare for difficult people without becoming one of them, confine yourself to the present, and don’t waste the limited time you’ve been given.

Marcus’s frequent reminders about death can sound pessimistic at first. But his message is really about living. Yesterday is already gone, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and the only place where we can actually think, choose, and act is right now.

We can’t control everything—or everyone—we encounter today. But we do have some control over the person who meets it.

Remember, the lessons are older than we are and just as relevant today.

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