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July    17th

DON’T   ABANDON OTHERS  .   .   .   OR  YOURSELF

“As you move    forward along   the path    of  reason, people  will    stand   in  your    way.    They    will    never

be  able    to  keep    you from    doing   what’s  sound,  so  don’t   let them    knock   out your    goodwill    for

them.   Keep    a   steady  watch   on  both    fronts, not only    for well-based  judgments   and actions,    but

also    for gentleness  with    those   who would   obstruct    our path    or  create  other   difficulties.   For

getting angry   is  also    a   weakness,   just    as  much    as  abandoning  the task    or  surrendering    under

panic.  For doing   either  is  an  equal   desertion—the   one by  shrinking   back    and the other   by

estrangement    from    family  and friend.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS,   MEDITATIONS,    11.9

s we begin to make progress in our lives, we’ll encounter the limitations of the people around us.
It’s like a diet. When everyone is eating unhealthy, there is a kind of natural alignment. But if one
person starts eating healthy, suddenly there are opposing agendas. Now there’s an argument about where
to go for dinner.
Just as you must not abandon your new path simply because other people may have a problem with it,
you must not abandon those other folks either. Don’t simply write them off or leave them in the dust. Don’t
get mad or fight with them. After all, they’re at the same place you were not long ago.