“Frame your thoughts like this–you are an old person,you won’t let yourself be enslaved by this any longer,no longer pulled like a puppet by every impulse, and you”ll stop complaining about your present fortune or dreading the future.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,2.2

I am an older person, not complaining, and looking forward to the future. RESIST

“Keep this thought handy when you feel a fit of rage coming on-it isn’t manly to be enraged. Rather, gentleness and civility are more human, and therefore manlier. A real man doesn’t give way to anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage, and endurance- unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.18.5b

Just talked with a neighbor down the street. He just asked what I thought of the great things the trump was doing that proves everybody is wrong about him. I asked him what things? Which he replied “you know” Which I said ” Oh, Putin running the country.” As I pulled off I heard “I,m not talking about that” Anger controlled, on small step.

“Don’t return to philosophy as a task-master, but as patients seek out relief in a treatment of sore eyes, or a dressing for a burn, or from an ointment. Regarding it this way, you’ll obey reason without putting it on display and the rest is easy in its care.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.9

I will be rereading this one the next four years to control my mind and emotions. Will we allow the Russians in our government. I am already in need of a cold cloth on my forehead.

“If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters–don’t wish to seem knowledgeable. And if some regard you as important, distrust yourself.” Epictetus, Enchirdion,  13a

The media is always pointing to a new outrage no matter how insignificant or petty to take our focus off of what is important. Stick to what is important to you and family.

“At every moment keep a sturdy mind on the task at hand, as a Roman and human being, doing it with strict and simple dignity, affection, freedom,and justice–giving yourself a break from all other considerations. You can do this if you approach each task as if it is your last, giving up every distraction, emotional subversion of reason,  and all drama, vanity, and complaint over your fair share. You can see how mastery over a few things makes it possible to live an abundant and devout life–for, if you keep watch over these things, the gods won’t ask for more.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 2.5

Task at hand is to fight for the next four years as if The United States of America is at stake. Which it is and make it as if it is my last fight.

“Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from and what they seek out” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,4.38

What is the generation going to look up to the next 4 years? The trump a liar, cheat, con man, low morals and a traitor. Did the dumb shits that voted for him think about that? Where are the wise men and mentors for the future.

“There are three areas in which the person who would be wise and good must be trained. The first has to do with desires and aversions–that a person may never miss the mark in desires nor fall into what repels them. The second has to do with impulses to act and not to act–and more broadly, with duty–that a person may act deliberately for good reasons and not carelessly. The third has to do with freedom from deception and composure and the whole area of judgement, the assent our mind gives to its perceptions. Of these areas, the chief and most urgent is the first which has to do with the passions, for strong emotions arise only when we fail in our desires and aversions” Epictetus, Discourses, 3.2.1_3a

I need to use good judgement and control my passions in choosing my course to resist the power of the trump . No wasted energy but like an arrow to the bullseye.

“Erase the false impressions from your mind by constantly saying to yourself, I have it in my soul to keep out any evil, desire, or any kind of disturbance-instead, seeing the true nature of things, I will give them only their due. Always remember this power that nature gave you.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,8.9

I see the evil as the trump and republicans. I am slowly choosing to allow less time on them each day.

“What’s left to be prized? This, I think-to limit our action or inaction to only what’s in keeping with the needs of our own preparation…it’s what the exertions of education and teaching are all about-here is the thing to be prized! If you hold this firmly, you’ll stop trying to get yourself all the other things…If you don’t, you won’t be free, self sufficient, or liberated from passion, but necessarily full of envy, jealousy, and suspicion for any  who have the power to take them, and you’ll plot against those who do have what you prize…But by having some self-respect for your own mind and prizing it, you will please yourself and be in better harmony with your fellow human beings, and more in tune with the gods-praising everything they have set in order and allotted you.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.16.2b-4a

What kind of man might trump have been if he had followed this?

“I will keep constant watch over myself and -most usefully-will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil-that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.” Seneca, Moral Letters, 83.2

I will start reviewing my day each night to see if I improve or failed to add a plus to my debit card. I wonder how that would work for the trump. Maybe he could follow this at 2 or 3 in the morning instead of sending out bullshit tweets.