Yesterday wasn't my best day. Interestingly, it had to do with world politics, something that usually never affects me in any way. But this time it did, and quite a bit, as I'll explain a little further down. I was overthinking and with that becoming more anxious, leaving me in a state of mind that even breathing and music and such didn't calm. One thing did, though - Marcus Aurelius. Yeah. That dude.
For nothing is so productive of elevation of mind as to be able to examine methodically and truly every object which is presented to thee in life, and always to look at things so as to see at the same time what kind of universe this is, and what kind of use everything performs in it, and what value everything has with reference to the whole, and what with reference to man, who is a citizen of the highest city, of which all other cities are like families; what each thing is, and of what it is composed, and how long it is the nature of this thing to endure which now makes an impression on me, and what virtue I have need of with respect to it, such as gentleness, manliness, truth, fidelity, simplicity, contentment, and the rest.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 3, Chapter 11
2026 was already to become a year of many challenges. Within the bakery, integrating the restaurant in the back. With Lily's mom, who moved back to Cotacachi. With Ellie, who had to move out of her house and will have to deal with a few moves before the new house is ready. With us wanting to get married in the middle of that, which might be postponed.
And now, the possibility of Lily's mom wanting to go back to her home country, Venezuela. She always wanted that, but in my case, with all the destruction and sorrow he caused within the country he ruled, he was a positive. Even Lily's mom understood that there was nothing to live off in Venezuela.
But now? There is the possibility that she'll want to go back asap. And given her recent statements, the confrontations we had, she might want to take Lily with her, which would be devastating for her, being ripped out of her home yet again. "She'll survive," is what the mom said the last time she threatened me to take Lily away, and I told her the damage it would do to Lily. One could hope for a wonder, but from my perspective and experience, her mom is not one to improve.
Which always made me want to improve double. To balance it out for Lily, so maybe she'll get just the right amount of virtues into her life - not as extreme as I, nor as extreme as her mom on the other side. And that's where MA comes into play.
Before, I looked at problems from all different sides, making up ways to deal with them. But I've worked a lot on myself, and I think I can call myself an overall virtuous person, even when considering the vices that I have still left. Now, I can not only analyze the problem, but I can decide with which virtue I want to accept it. Not attack it, not tackle it, but accept the problem. There's a big difference in the approach.
It doesn't mean that I won't fight for Lily, for what I think is best for her. Defining the virtue of which I have need is more like rooting myself, finding the right stance, the base from which I will be deciding which measures to take. If I ground myself on a virtue and use it as a thread for my actions, it might be less likely to be overwhelmed by vices, by emotions.
So, that's something to work on in 2026. Becoming better at dealing with problems, big ones. I will end 2026 better, maybe not economically or such superficial parts, but as a self. Getting a few steps closer to who and what I could be. And then, hopefully lead by example. Wouldn't it be great if more people started working on themselves? If the world somehow shifted from a chase of individualism towards virtues again? But one step at a time...
I've come a long way in 2025. But it's in crisis when we measure our progress. The genius of a hole - no matter how long it takes you to climb up, you can still fall down in an instant. How deep we fall makes all the difference. Were we able to elevate rock bottom?
2026 might just become the year to measure my progress.
How did you understand the quote of Marcus Aurelius?
Please feel free to engage in any original way, including dropping links to your posts on similar topics. I'm happy to read (and curate) any quality content that is not created by LLM/AI.
Post written for the #weekend-engagement by 
This is my response to:
1/ Why will 2026 be a better year than 2025 for you personally? Explain.
And all other questions, basically, in side notes.
Thank you for reading!