2 weeks ago Marc, Tim, and Steve discussed Marcus Aurelius and the Touchstones of Goodness. This is Part 2 from that conversation. More on Marcus Aurelius is discussed, and much of it you can read below. We also talk about:

• The importance of finding a community where positive growth is cultivated

• Creating a “current” — a flow of what it is you ultimately want through consistency

Marcus Aurelius called them the “Touchstones of Goodness” — Courage, Temperance, Justice, Wisdom.

These are guides to what to do, who to be, how to behave, how to respond in every situation — with bravery, fortitude, honor, sacrifice, self-control, moderation, composure, balance, fairness, service, fellowship, goodness, kindness, wisdom, knowledge, education, truth, self-reflection, and serenity.

These are the key to a life of excellence, in every sense. “If, at some point in your life,” Marcus wrote, “you should come across anything better than justice, prudence, self-control, courage — if you find anything better than that, embrace it without reservations — it must be an extraordinary thing indeed.” That was almost 20 centuries ago. We have discovered a lot of things since then — automobiles, the Internet, cures for diseases that were previously a death sentence — but have we found anything better? No, we have not. It’s unlikely we ever will.