This morning, I was lazing around in bed. I should have been getting up and dragging my son out of bed too, because we both had work we should be getting on with. Rather than getting on with it, I decided to continue listening to Richard Armitage reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, picking it up again at Book 5. This is what I heard:
At break of day, when you are reluctant to get up, have this thought ready to mind: I am getting up for a man’s work. Do I still then resent it if I am going out to do what I was born for, the purpose for which I was brought into the world?
Or was I created to wrap myself in blankets and keep warm? This is more pleasant.
Were you then born for pleasure? Or for feeling, not for action? Can you not see the plants, birds, ants, spiders, bees, all doing their own work, each helping in their own way to order the world? And then do you not want to do the work of a human being? Do you not hurry to the demands of your own nature?
But one needs to rest too.
One does indeed, I agree. But nature has set limits to this too, just as it has to eating and drinking, and yet you go beyond these limits, beyond what you need.
Not in your actions, though. Not any longer. Here you stay below your capability.
The point is that you do not love yourself. Otherwise you would love both your own nature and her purpose for you.
I think I’ve been told.
I'm Feeling This 
Sue ahhh hmmmm so did you get up and start your day or wrap a blanket around yourself and continue listening to his golden voice do book 6? 😉😍
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I definitely did what I was told!
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Ahh I wonder if he would?
What did you think of Justin Trudeau winning a second term?( I thought yeah!!!!!!)
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Much better than the alternative. It’s a minority, though, so he has to get the NDP party’s support to pass anything.
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yeah he just seems middle of the road and likable (barring his brown face episode) unlike in America where DT is divisive and autocratic. I’m relieved for you if that makes any sense…
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Liberals are fairly centre. Conservatives are more right and in my opinion would have been a worse choice.
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Yep definitely and Trudeau has been decent for the most part no?
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I think so. But of course not everyone does.
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Sue I would happily take Trudeau over the clown we have now and god forbid might have another 4 years unless the Dems get their act together now!!
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Let’s hope there will be a change in your country.
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Sue me too!!
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Oh, dear, I didn’t want to get up out of bed today either. It’s Monday, I wonder if he penned those words on a Monday or a Friday or a Saturday? I hope you enjoy your week, you’ve started it off well with inspirational words!!
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Good question! Thanks! Hope you enjoy your week as well.
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I would really like to listen to these — there are passages I know by heart — but I want actual discs. I looked a few weeks ago for them but didn’t find any. Maybe there will be some eventually.
Fwiw, I credit Marcus Aurelius and the rereading of the Meditations I did after mom died with teaching me to prioritize rest — precisely because of his ongoing theme of “you need to be doing what you are supposed to be doing.” I do a lot less binge sleeping now.
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I’ve never read them. RA has done very well with them, striking the right tone I think. I find it tough to meditate on something that is being read to me, though. I think they might mean more to me if I were reading them. Although this one spoke to me. Hopefully they’ll come out on CD so you can hear RA read them.
I don’t tend to prioritize rest, so I binge sleep on the weekends and then I’m mad at myself that I’ve lost half the day. Maybe listening will have some impact on me too. Today I was in meetings pretty much from 9 am to 9 pm, which was what I was supposed to be doing. Then I came home and watched our election coverage, seeing the country safely through. Phew.
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it’s balance, isn’t it? recent;y i’ve been working non stop, organising a study day, going to London, Aberystwyth and Llangollen and whilst it was wonderful-i was too busy and didn’t have time to sleep or rest my brain properly and i was on the verge of having a breakdwon (in all honesty)
I like to be busy, but i also understand the importance of rest and time out. Sometimes you do just need to stay in bed for that bit longer, and other times you have to get your arse into gear! lol
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I wouldn’t mind staying in bed with Richard! You and Sue have mates I don’t !! I hope Richard doesn’t either!!! hahahahahahahaha but I’d share him with you both!!
spot on about balance and you are human thank goodness too both of you for being genuine and honest!!
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Too much work at the expense of life is not good either, you’re right, and I get sucked into that quite often too. Balance for sure is what we should be striving for.
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I hope you’ve had a better week Rachel. Rest is important but undervalued in our society.
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Ah thanks lovely x I’m much better but still avoiding too much socialising tbh. I’ve always avoided too much stuff but recently had stufd on and now I realise why I generally don’t like being too busy! There’s a magazine that I think has ceased being published called The Idler and their concept was based,not so much being idLe, but the idea that we don’t rest enough
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I’m glad you’re feeling better. I remember the Idler but didn’t realised it had ended – too idle to read it I suppose.
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It’s difficult to defy the Armitage when his voice is instructing. I’m finding hard to separate Armitage from Aurelius, listening to the meditations, and am feeling slovenly and weak-willed – although they are very wise words.
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He reads them well, don’t you think?
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I certainly do.
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I’m sure he does many things very well 😂😉👏👏
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Wow! I think I may actually need to get this audio-work of his…
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It’s very well done, although there is a long and boring (imo) introduction that he reads before the Meditations themselves.
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Thanks! I just purchased it off Amazon this afternoon. Not sure when I’ll dive in but it’s a step in the right direction. 🙂
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Enjoy!
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