Regain your senses, call yourself back, and once again wake up. Now that you realize that only dreams were troubling you, view this ‘reality’ as you view your dreams.

Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) was a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher known for his posthumously titled work, Meditations. Assumed to have been written for his own self-improvement, the book examines life experiences through the lens of Stoic principles, which emphasize living virtuously, rationally, simply, and with full responsibility for one’s actions and obligations.