Hard work and discipline
In the morning, when thou art sluggish at rousing thee, let this thought be present; ‘I am rising to a man’s work.’
— Marcus Aurelius (121–180), Meditations, Book V, 1 (George Long translation), as given in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations (1919)

Hard work and discipline

What it means

On mornings when getting up feels hard, he reminds himself that there is meaningful work waiting. Purpose, not mood, is what gets us out of bed.

About the author

Marcus Aurelius — Stoic philosopher, Roman emperor from 161 to 180.

Source and verification

Source
Meditations, Book V, 1 (George Long translation), as given in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations (1919)
Reference
Marcus Aurelius on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Public domain: an ancient work.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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