Weekend-engagement: Marcus Aurelius Quote

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Read the following quote and tell us what it means to you, how it relates, or how you perceive its meaning.

"Such as are your habitual thoughts, such also will be the character of your mind; for the soul is dyed by the thoughts." Marcus Aurelius

Okay to begin, I would like to remark that this is quite a stunning one. But after I did a little research on Marcus Aurelius, and I found out he is a Roman emperor and a stoic philosopher. I was impressed.

Okay, a little introductory on what I understand about this quote. Maybe I should have said how I understood this quote. It's a quote on the power of our thoughts and how they may affect our life.

The quote states essentially that the way we think on a regular basis or interval, have a direct impact or effect on our mental condition. So basically it means that our thoughts on a daily basis can shape our minds. The same way that dye shapes the color of fabric.

Let me elaborate more..
How we think on a consistent basis has a substantial impact on our total mental state. Harmful thoughts can have or lead to a harmful impact on our mental health if we make it a habit (i.e if it becomes habitual). In the same vein, when we always cultivate a positive and productive thinking, it can have a significant/positive impact on our happiness and well-being.

Personally I think Marcus Aurelius' was trying to remind us to be careful of what we let into our thoughts, because what we let in can affect our life - *Garbage in, garbage out. Just like a computer it only processes what you input into it. So a wise thinking individual going by this quote should learn to cultivate positive and productive thinking in order to live a positive and productive life.

I believe this saying is evident in our reality today, in our many spheres of life. For example, as a student if you approach a particular subject as being difficult. You are more likely to face tension and difficulty in that particular subject, but if you approach it with a positive mindset, believing that it isn't difficult then you're bound to succeed in that subject.

That aside, I think this quote can be related to the common proverb we all know: "Think positive, Be positive." Looking at it deeply it's the same idea, maybe just conveyed differently.

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