By: Angie Falls

Once in a while my attention is attracted by icons in history. I strongly believe that there is always a lesson to be learned. Currently I am fascinated by Marcus Aurelius.

He was the last of the so-called FiveGoodEmperors.

He was a practitioner of Stoicism, and his untitled writing, commonly known as Meditations, is a significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy.

Stoicism is predominantly a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to happiness for humans is found in accepting this moment as it presents itself, by not allowing ourselves to be controlled by our desire for pleasure or our fear of pain, by using our minds to understand the world around us and to do our part in nature’s plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly.

In light of this theory I had to draw a link to my environment and to use this in practice.

I start with the perception that virtue is defined by behavior and not by thoughts and words. In my corporate world it seems that politics is the way to conduct business. The business itself is neglected and has no specific development. As a professional this makes it very difficult to perform. The performance is not the point of attention but good political contacts are. There are many occasions that I sit at my desk and look at a playground instead of a company. An ever changing company can be tiresome unless you compare to Marcus Aurelius’s view that  change is a given fact just like nature. This natural change we accept but the corporate changes we can’t cope with.

As Marcus Aurelius stated;  “The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it”

It took me six years to accept change since I have seen every time the same cycle of change in the company. Once this stage of acceptance is passed it gives one confidence in the future. Where every change will be a given fact.

With this in mind I move on in my new endeavors to absorb knowledge and to learn in this same playground of so called professionals.

Whenever new colleagues join they behave like they will concur the world. After a while I can see them line up like all the preceders.

It makes me feel powerless. Unable to gain motivation to move on. I wonder how we can break this cycle. Should we break this cycle or should the cycle just follow.

Is it time to move on to another playground?

Concluding with this thought to a search within myself. What can and should my next steps be?

I must focus on the Meditations and search for answers in stoicism.

By self-restraint, I need to develop clear judgment and inner calm. Since the path to happiness is accepting the present moment as it is like Marcus Aurelius would teach.

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