Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, wrote this around 160 CE in his Meditations (Book 5, Section 16). Although he spoke Latin, Marcus chose Greek—the scholarly language of his day—for his private reflections. He recognized his words and thoughts shaped his mood and character.
In chapter 13 of 30 Philosophers, I recount the story of Zeno and Stoicism to illustrate a similar point:
“He realized it was his mind, and only his mind, that put value on the things he just lost. He realized it was his thoughts of the future, and only his thoughts, that colored his soul dark. He realized it was within his power to reshape his thoughts.”
This idea lies at the heart of Stoicism: rather than ignoring our feelings, we should understand and reframe them in the context of reality—a sentiment not unlike “fake it until you make it.”