Shout out to my friend Amir, who brought up the idea of creating an adaption of Meditations in Gen Z slang. I asked if I could run with the idea, and he gave me his blessing.

 

I first read Meditations after watching the Paul Giamatti led film, “The Holdovers.” I heard of Marcus Aurelieus and Stoicism in prior years, but never really gave serious consideration to picking up a copy of his writings. As I reflect on the original text, it struck me as one of the meaningful collections of wisdom on life, relationships, and purpose. If you’re not religious, this should be your bible. Aurelieus’ words help me to see and grow, they are poetry.

 

My goal with this adaptation was to first and foremost have fun with it. If you’re looking for a serious adaptation of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations I suggest purchasing a copy of “Meditations: The Annotated Edition” translated by Robin Waterfield. It provides extensive annotations and the wording is extremely relatable. You should not under any circumstances trust my translation to capture the nuance of Marcus Aurelieus’s teachings. I did my best to get his main points across for every verse.

 

The second, and much more important, goal is to introduce a wider audience to Stoicism. Particularly as we navigate a world where religion is playing less of a role in our society. People are seeking a connection to a higher purpose and the universe, and we find this manifesting itself in many different ways. The philosophy of Stoicism is just one of many non-religious ways to achieve a well-lived life.

 

I sincerely hope you enjoy this read and share it with others in your life. Take these verses and send them to a friend. You’ll be surprised how many will apply to the occurrences and situations in your day-to-day life.