Good morning! Around three years ago, I began crafting Monday’s Motivation, and I've been deeply touched by the sincere reactions it has garnered. As we enter the second quarter and embrace the blossoming of spring (in most areas), I'd like to reflect on some of the most popular and engaging MM posts from the past three years. Initially, when I launched Monday’s Motivation on Substack, my readership was quite limited. However, MM will return with fresh articles on Monday, April 15, 2024. I sincerely appreciate your continued support.
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It is Monday morning. You are a bit tired from a long, fun weekend. Your alarm goes off at 7 am, and you peek out of your bedroom window only to see light snow and grey skies. Meanwhile, you hit the snooze button and go back under your heavy-down comforter. A wave of anxiety comes over you, knowing all you must get done today. Maybe you are behind at work or have a difficult meeting in a few hours? You hit the snooze button a second time. Perhaps I can just call-in sick today? However, your problems and issues will still be there tomorrow. How many of us have had those same feelings? Maybe you feel like that right now as you read this MM. I know I have been here many times in my life.
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius writes in the Meditations, “At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain about if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?’ So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? ……..”
Marcus Aurelius is considered one of history’s great leaders and an early Stoic philosopher. He was a man of action and a benevolent ruler. Aurelius also understood the importance of taking action and believed in living every day like it was your last. Memento Mori is a central tenet of Stoic philosophy which translates to, ”Remember you must die.” On the surface, this phrase appears to be morbid and outright depressing; however, as one digs deeper into the root of Memento Mori, it is quite the opposite.
We live in a chaotic world, and it is sometimes difficult to embrace the present and realize how mortal we are. Treat life like a gift -don’t waste it on the trivial and the mundane. Throw the covers off and approach the day with vigor! Do something awesome, and make a difference in yours and someone else’s life today.
“Greatness pulls mediocrity into the mud. Get out there and get after it.”-David Goggins
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