When we’re sitting down to work on something, whether it’s a company, a book, our bank account, it’s easy to dream of how it will matter in the distant future. Of course, we’d like to be successful now but what we really is for what we make to last through the centuries, our name to be handed down as an example of greatness. This seems meaningful and important, but is it?

Marcus writes in the Gregory Hays translation of Meditations:

“People out for posthumous fame forget that the Generations To Come will be the same annoying people they know now. And just as mortal. What does it matter to you if they say x about you, or think y?”

The more blunt way to put it is: What will any of it matter since you’ll be dead? Fame is nothing. It’s mostly meaningless right here and now–who cares if 15,000 people have heard of your or 15 million–but it’s definitely worthless when you’re not even around to enjoy the fruits of that fame.

Ignore all that, Marcus is saying. Give yourself the gift of the present moment instead. Enjoy today.