Not Your Whole Life at Once

Before we go on, let's spend a little time with the book itself. Walton turns to Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and author of personal reflections on life. He's interested in a balance that helps us give more attention to our responsibilities while remaining involved in them.

Now we'll hear a connected passage from Walton's book. He introduces three pieces of advice from Marcus Aurelius in turn: about all our possible future difficulties, about work itself, and about choosing an action when things aren't yet clear. They share a simple movement: bringing an enormous imagined task back to the part we've actually encountered.

You can simply listen to this voice without needing to turn every sentence into a rule immediately. What matters is hearing how action and calm come together in it. Walton writes:

On the futile foreboding which plays so large a part in the tribulation of the worrier, he says:

"Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life. Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the various troubles which thou mayest expect to befall thee; but on every occasion ask thyself, What is there in this which is intolerable and past bearing? for thou wilt be ashamed to confess. In the next place remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present. But this is reduced to a very little, if thou only circumscribest it, and chidest thy mind, if it is unable to hold out against even this." Again: "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou usest for present things."

On the dismissal of useless fret, and concentration upon the work in hand, he says:

"Labor not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would be pitied or admired; but direct thy will to one thing only, to put thyself in motion and to check thyself, as the social reason requires."

Regarding senseless fears he counsels:

"What need is there of suspicious fear, since it is in thy power to inquire what ought to be done? And if thou seest clear, go by this way content, without turning back: but if thou dost not see clear, stop and take the best advisers. But if any other things oppose thee, go on according to thy powers with due consideration, keeping to that which appears to be just. For it is best to reach this object, and if thou dost fail, let thy failure be in attempting this. He who follows reason in all things is both tranquil and active at the same time, and also cheerful and collected."

These lines bring one combination into particular focus: being calm and active at the same time. We may not know everything, but we can ask, seek advice, and do what's available. We don't have to bring the future here as one entire burden in order to move toward it responsibly.

We've heard passages from the book together with the introductions Walton gives them. Next, we'll move closer to a very ordinary moment: one thought repeats, takes up more and more room, and suddenly seems more important than anything else. How does that happen?