“Character is destiny.” ~ Heraclitus
It really is simple: do the right thing. Always. Your character is what is remembered when you are no longer here. It is what defines you and carries you through life. Marcus Aurelius said, “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
The four virtues of Stoicism that make up one’s character are: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. Courage is your fortitude and strength to endure. Temperance is your restraint and self-control. Justice is fairness and doing the right thing. Wisdom is your ability to be driven by reason when acting because of what you have learned navigating your life.
Think about your day and all the opportunities you have to make a choice. Choose to do the right thing the first time so you don’t have to clean up the mess later. In the actor Matthew McConaughney’s famous commencement speech to the 2015 University of Houston graduating class he called this “leaving crumbs”. Remember planting the good seeds will build the foundation for your future- – -for your destiny. Yogi Master Patanjali said, “If you make it a way of life never to hurt others, then in your presence all conflict comes to an end.”
