Having read Obstacle is the Way last week and continuing my journey to the Stoicist thoughts and actions a particular thought of Marcus Aurelius caught my attention this morning: give day your everything.

In particular I liked the grapefruit metaphor. It’s not like the grape vines actually expect anything in return, instead they labor those fruits because it is in their nature. Marcus Aurelius contemplates that isn’t it the nature of man to work and give your everything?

Giving everything and doing your best, because it is in our nature. By default this might not be, but this is what we are capable of.

Creating the fruits of labor and then giving them away. Why? Because only when we work to find and satisfy the needs of others at high levels, ultimately we get what we dare to ask.

Tagged: labor, Marcus Aurelius, needs, obstacle is the way, Stoicism, work