1900 years ago the greatest leader was born. How to become one?

On this very special and rare historical day, exactly 1900 years ago one of the greatest leaders in the history of the Humankind was born. Leader who dealt with ancient pandemic, financial crisis and wars.

He was not supposed to become the most powerful man on Earth. He was adopted as an heir to the throne, yet he still was from an aristocratic family.

From a young age he was well educated and expressed main interest in philosophy and law. Unlike many of his predecessors, he was already proficient in imperial administration when he assumed power.

He improved civil law to support less-favored ones, slaves, poor children.

He permitted free speech.

He was against Christian persecution.

Unfortunately, his reign was during times of many crises from ancient pandemic, many conflicts, financial crisis, wars to flood, famine, earthquake, all of which devastated the empire across 3 continents.

He wanted to be a philosopher, not emperor, and this tragedy made him the only one who could have been ready to deal with so many crises that broke over the empire.

He adopted desperate measures to fight wars from North to East to South, and global pandemic which killed 10% of the empire.

He had many anxieties, personal problems, illnesses during his life.

Imperial property was auctioned and sold to provide funds. Debts owed to the government were cancelled. Capital from upper-classes was confiscated. He also audited his own officials and allowed no expenditures without approval.

He had many titles like “The philosopher”, “Philosopher-King”, “Philosopher-Warrior”, “An Emperor most skilled in law”, “A most prudent and conscientiously just emperor”

During his entire life he remained the same person and did not change in the least. He still showed the same respect and humility as he had when he was an ordinary citizen.

He continued to be humble, listen, learn, study and pursue personal development even in older age.

He was respecting and asking permission from the Senate even when he didn’t have to.

He had no ego, and carefully searched for and surrounded himself with the best talent and not aristocrats. He actually listened to advice. He empowered people to make decisions.

When elite left Rome, he stayed, at enormous personal cost. He braved the deadliest plague, never showing fear, reassuring his people by his very presence.

He toured the empire in an attempt to purge it of the plague, using every purifying technique yet known. He attended funerals. He gave speeches. He showed up for his people, assuring them that he did not value his safety more than his responsibility.

He was deeply moved by the suffering of the people.

At the end of his life he started writing his private diary to help with anxiety and personal, spiritual, moral growth and inner peace.

Sadly, in the year 180, having led the people through the worst of the crisis, which stretched on for some 15 years of his reign, and having never hidden or neglected his public duties, he fell ill himself.

Being 58 years old, he died on March 17th in the year 180.

Nonetheless, his diary survived and has become what is known today as “Meditations”, one of the greatest works in the history of philosophy, personal development and state administration, admired by greatest leaders, monarchs, philosophers and many others for the last centuries.

He was born in Rome on this day, April 26th in the year 121, exactly 1900 years ago.

Happy 1900th birthday Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus.

Your private journal, humble character full of virtues, sacrificial leadership, leading by example has influenced many generations and people, including me.

Today we live in a world which is going through many similar crises. We live in the passive times, times where virtues, good thinking, good leadership, being a good human being are rare, often not valued and rejected, not developed, and most importantly we simply have lack of action and attention.

As Ryan Holiday pointed out. Being good to each other was the prevailing belief of Marcus’s life. A disease like the plague, “can only threaten your life,” he said in Meditations, but evil, selfishness, pride, hypocrisy, fear—these things “attack our humanity.”

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.

Many people today say that we need more such leaders. I say. Great. Become one yourself. Become the leader you wish you worked for or be ruled by. Then act like one. Every. Single. Day. And never stop learning and serving.

"Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless." - Soichiro Honda

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