A passage from Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 3.1
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We ought to consider not only that our life is daily wasting away, but also that this part of it which is called life is daily diminishing, so that the day when we are not living or not making any progress is also a day of life.
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Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains... But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself.
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At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: 'I have to go to work — as a human being.'
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Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.