Marcus was like us. He wasn’t naturally extraordinary. He wasn’t born to greatness. His destiny was not pre-ordained. So how did it happen? How are we here today—what would have been his 1900th birthday—still talking about him?

We’ve talked before about the dream Marcus had. The one where his shoulders were made of ivory, signalling to him that he could do it, that he could be king. 

But what’s important for us to remember—at least those of us who have never experienced such lofty portentous dreams—is what happened after. Marcus didn’t wake up with a bottomless reservoir of confidence all of the sudden. It was not as if a switch had been permanently flipped. Over and over in Meditations, we see Marcus writing messages of reassurance to himself: 

Not to assume it’s impossible because you find it hard. But to recognize that if it’s humanly possible, you can do it too.

You can do it, if you simply recognize: that they’re human too.

Yes, you can—if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life…you can manage this.

Marcus talked about how our life takes on the color of our thoughts. If you hold a perpetually negative outlook, soon enough everything you encounter will seem negative. And in those moments when you don’t think you can do something, it’s very likely you won’t be able to do it. 

The same thing holds true for a positive outlook, however. Color your mind with the right thoughts, color them with what’s possible, and then whatever you’re trying to do—whether it’s trying to start a company or salvage a relationship or lose twenty pounds or quit drinking or make partner at your law firm—you’ll be able to manage it. 

That is not to say that things won’t be hard, regardless of your outlook. But you have stronger shoulders than you know. People less talented, less determined, less privileged than you have succeeded at similar things. With a positive outlook—of course you can do this. You just need to focus. You need to grit your teeth and get to work. 

So today, celebrate Marcus’ 1900th birthday by reminding yourself of what Marcus kept reminding himself: yes, you can. Whatever it is—yes, you can. You don’t need to dream it. Your shoulders are made of ivory. 

Imagine being selected to be emperor. Imagine the pressure. The stress. The self-doubt.  Yet Marcus surprised everyone and rose to the occasion! How did he do it? That’s the question we answer in The Boy Who Would Be King! It’s an illustrated and timeless fable about the early journey of Marcus Aurelius, written with the intention of being useful for children and adults alike. As one Amazon reviewer put it, The Boy Who Would Be King “will teach anyone [of] all ages…a book to be cherished among all.” You can order your copy here in the Daily Stoic store.

P.S. This was originally sent on April 26, 2021. Sign up today for the Daily Stoic’s email and get our popular free 7-day course on Stoicism.