November 24, 2025 • 15 mins
Ever wake up to a wave of pressure before your feet hit the floor? We offer a Stoic counter move: start the day by naming four privileges—being alive, to think, to enjoy, to love—and watch how anxiety softens while purpose sharpens
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Wes (00:00):
Welcome back to the According to West Podcast, the
podcast that explores thetimeless wisdom that helps us
find peace and purpose in ourdaily lives.
I'm your host Wes, and todaywe're diving into a beautiful,
life-affirming quote from theRoman Emperor and philosopher
Marcus Aurelius.
The quote, when you arise inthe morning, think of what a
(00:26):
privilege it is to be alive, tothink, to enjoy, to love.
This isn't just a feel-goodsentiment.
It's a powerful psychologicaland philosophical practice.
In a world where it's it's soeasy to wake up and immediately
(00:49):
feel a uh a sense of dread or tobe overwhelmed, you know,
thinking about our to-do lists,our anxieties or our
frustrations.
Um Marcus Aurelius with thisquote, he he offers us a
different path.
Um, this quote tells us tobegin our day not with a sense
(01:13):
of burden, but with a profoundsense of privilege and
gratitude.
So, as always, let's unpackthis morning ritual and discover
why a simple shift in mindsetat the start of your day can
fundamentally change the courseof your life.
The first part of this quote isa direct challenge to our most
(01:41):
common morning habits.
We often wake up andimmediately feel a sense of
obligation.
We have to go to work, we haveto get the kids ready, we have
to face our problems.
That's me every day.
Obligation.
No kids right now, but it'sit's get to work, finish this,
finish this, finish this, startthis, start this, start this.
(02:03):
And it's usually house projectsand you know uh editing.
Uh hopefully the listeners, youguys like the editing.
Um forever trying to get betterat that, but I digress.
Um, Marcus Aurelius in thisquote, uh, he asks us to reframe
(02:25):
this.
He asks us to see our existencenot as an obligation, but as a
privilege.
A privilege is a special rightor advantage.
When you see your life as aprivilege, it changes
everything.
For an example, the the not thethe privilege to be alive.
(02:47):
This is like the most basic andprofound form of gratitude.
Simply being alive is not aguarantee, it's a gift.
Countless things had to goright for you to exist in this
moment.
Thinking about this puts all ofour daily anxieties into a
proper perspective.
In addition to that, the theprivilege to think.
(03:14):
Uh the privilege to think is uhis a tribute to our
consciousness and our capacityfor reason.
Emphasis on the reason.
We we have the ability to solveproblems, to learn, to
contemplate, and to create.
This is what sets us apart, andit's a profound gift we often
(03:37):
take for granted.
I think the uh the privilege tothink is such uh underrated
privilege because uh uh we oftendon't think we often don't
think we often don't know the uhthe effects of not being able
(04:00):
to think and work things out andorganize your chaos.
Um we often don't know whatthat can do for us.
Um I've been in plenty ofsituations where just kind of
like always want to go, orplenty points in my life where
I'm always wanting tosomething's always happening, or
(04:20):
I'm always getting hit over thehead with life stuff, and I
don't have the time to actuallyjust uh process and analyze and
see what I did right and seewhat I did wrong.
Um and it's only up untilyou're granted that time or just
that privilege to actuallyassess things where you you know
(04:43):
you start to make neededchanges, you start it, you start
to have growth within yourself.
You you right the wrongs, youknow what I mean?
Um you fight your demons, youyou you face your insecurities.
Um that privilege to think iseverybody's life isn't perfect,
(05:04):
but that one privilege, like Isaid, organizing your chaos.
Doesn't mean you got it allright and got it all figured
out, but you gotta you got ahandle on it.
You have control over it.
It's one of the privileges Ivalue I value with everything
that I have.
Another uh gift we take forgranted is the just the the the
(05:30):
privilege to enjoy.
This this reminds us of all thesmall and large joys in life,
the warmth of uh of a cup ofcoffee, the beauty of a sunrise,
the beauty of a woman's nakedbody, the pleasure of a good
book, the laughter with a goodfriend.
(05:54):
Life is filled with thesemoments of enjoyment, and
thinking of them as a privilegemakes us more present to them.
Now I must say, uh that's whatI'm learning to tap into more
and more as the as I get older.
The privilege to enjoy like yo.
Naked a naked woman's body,like, is there anything more
(06:18):
beautiful than that?
When you think about it, as aman, hell, as a woman, yo, it's
could I imagine life withoutbeing able to experience that?
No.
And speaking of uh the uh nakedwoman's body, uh the the thing
(06:43):
that we all can't live withoutis just the privilege to love.
Um this is perhaps the thegreatest privilege of all.
It's the ability to feel loveand to give love to family, to
friends, and to our partner.
It's our deepest connection toothers and our greatest source
of meaning.
By focusing on theseprivileges, we shift our mindset
(07:07):
from a scarcity and burden toabundance and gratitude.
This mental shift is thefoundation of a good day.
This quote can be a powerfulsolution to two of the most
common mental pitfalls, whichare anxiety and complacency.
(07:31):
So much of our anxiety isrooted in a focus of what's
missing, what could go wrong, orwhat we don't have.
This practice of mourninggratitude holds our attention
away from fear and towards theabundance of life.
By focusing on these privilegesof life, we build a mental
(07:54):
fortress that is hard for worryand fear to penetrate.
We are grounded in the presentmoment, filled with a sense of
peace.
Seeing life as a privilege alsoinspires us to act with a sense
of purpose and urgency.
(08:15):
When we take our lives forgranted, we become complacent,
we procrastinate, we neglect ourhealth, we take our
relationships for granted.
When we remember that life is aprivilege, it inspires us to
make the most of every day.
We don't want to waste thisprecious gift.
(08:36):
It's a call to action, not areason to be passive.
This simple morning thoughtprocess is a two-way street.
It gives us inner peace and itmotivates us to live with
intention.
There's been countless timeswhere I let anxiety and fear um
(09:07):
get into the get into the way ofthe the privilege that I have
to actually live the life that Ilive.
Um with me it comes from justbeing extremely too hard on
myself.
Um to the point where it'slike, hey, you're supposed to be
(09:33):
doing this, this, and this,yeah, you you reached this goal,
but this is where youultimately want to be at.
And I don't I don't recognizeor acknowledge not even the
small wins, but the the stepsand the process along the way is
a win.
It's ultimately a win becausesome people don't even get this
(09:54):
far.
Um and that's something that Idefinitely have a hard time with
doing and acknowledging withinmyself.
And it's like a it's like anever-ending, spiraling pit of
doom when it comes to that.
(10:15):
Because I'll have that mindset,and then I'm like, okay, well,
I'm not where I need to be, orthis isn't done to the way it
needs to be done, or the way Ithink it needs to be done.
Or yeah, it'll be that.
And then, okay, what's the nextstep?
(10:37):
And I'm like, well, damn,that's gonna take a lot of time,
or that's gonna take this,this, and this, or I'm not sure
if I have the tools for thatyet.
And then that's when theprocrastination comes into play.
Because you're like, it's gonnatake so much time, or it's
gonna take so much energy to dothat next step, that I
procrastinate on that next step.
Then I get scared ofcomplacency.
Then I'm fearful that I'llnever finish what I need to
(11:00):
finish.
Uh that's my biggest uh mybiggest issue with uh not
recognizing the the privilege oflife, the privilege to live
that I have.
That it is a journey.
It's not it's not a sprint.
There's gonna be ups and downs,highs and lows, bumps along the
(11:22):
way.
Um that I'm definitely workingto be better at.
Every day that you're alive isa win.
Every day, every day that youmove forward towards a goal or
uh uh a passion fulfilling whatyou think is your uh your
(11:45):
destiny is a privilege.
There's a lot of people thatdon't get to even see or start
simple things like hey, I saved$500 today, I put $500 in a
bank.
Some people don't have $500 toput in a bank.
It's like simple stuff, likebut as a whole, how do how could
(12:14):
a person you know put that inthe forefront of their their
mind their everyday theireveryday to to acknowledge or to
bask in the privilege of life.
The first thing we do in themorning sets the tone for our
(12:41):
our entire day.
Before we reach for our phone,before we check our emails or
social media or our stockoptions.
You know, take a moment.
As soon as we wake up, we cantake a f the few deep breaths,
we can close our eyes for aminute and mentally run through
(13:03):
those privileges in the quote.
You can expand upon them.
Like, I'm alive, uh the sun isshining, I have my health, stuff
like that.
I have a cup of coffee toenjoy, I have a family to love,
I can give a kind word to afriend.
(13:25):
Another way, which I don't knowhow some of you guys will
probably feel about this.
Uh creating a gratitudejournal.
I haven't heard the wordjournal in a long time since the
(13:45):
uh the Doug Funny days.
If you're old enough, you'reold enough, you know who Doug
Funny is.
But another this could beanother effective way to make
this habit a good habit and isto keep a gratitude journal by
your bed.
Write down three things you aregrateful for each morning.
Lastly, sharing your gratitudewith others can amplify its
(14:11):
effects.
A simple text to a loved onesaying, I'm grateful for you
today, can not only make themfeel good, but can also
reinforce your own sense ofgratitude.
The quote, when you arise inthe morning, think of what a
(14:32):
privilege it is to be alive, tothink, to enjoy, to love, is a
timeless and simple prescriptionfor a better life.
It reminds us that our greatestsource of peace and happiness
is not found in externalcircumstances, but in our own
internal attitude.
By beginning each day with asense of privilege and
(14:55):
gratitude, we are not justmaking our day better.
We are fundamentally reshapingour minds.
We are building a fortress ofinner peace that is resilient to
the inevitable challenges oflife.
It's a practice that shifts usfrom a state of obligation to a
state of purpose, and from astate of anxiety to a state of
(15:19):
profound contentment.
I want to thank you guys forjoining me on this episode of
the According to West Podcast.
Until next time, may you findpeace and purpose in every day.
Welcome back to the According to West Podcast, the
podcast that explores thetimeless wisdom that helps us
find peace and purpose in ourdaily lives.
I'm your host Wes, and todaywe're diving into a beautiful,
life-affirming quote from theRoman Emperor and philosopher
Marcus Aurelius.
The quote, when you arise inthe morning, think of what a
(00:26):
privilege it is to be alive, tothink, to enjoy, to love.
This isn't just a feel-goodsentiment.
It's a powerful psychologicaland philosophical practice.
In a world where it's it's soeasy to wake up and immediately
(00:49):
feel a uh a sense of dread or tobe overwhelmed, you know,
thinking about our to-do lists,our anxieties or our
frustrations.
Um Marcus Aurelius with thisquote, he he offers us a
different path.
Um, this quote tells us tobegin our day not with a sense
(01:13):
of burden, but with a profoundsense of privilege and
gratitude.
So, as always, let's unpackthis morning ritual and discover
why a simple shift in mindsetat the start of your day can
fundamentally change the courseof your life.
The first part of this quote isa direct challenge to our most
(01:41):
common morning habits.
We often wake up andimmediately feel a sense of
obligation.
We have to go to work, we haveto get the kids ready, we have
to face our problems.
That's me every day.
Obligation.
No kids right now, but it'sit's get to work, finish this,
finish this, finish this, startthis, start this, start this.
(02:03):
And it's usually house projectsand you know uh editing.
Uh hopefully the listeners, youguys like the editing.
Um forever trying to get betterat that, but I digress.
Um, Marcus Aurelius in thisquote, uh, he asks us to reframe
(02:25):
this.
He asks us to see our existencenot as an obligation, but as a
privilege.
A privilege is a special rightor advantage.
When you see your life as aprivilege, it changes
everything.
For an example, the the not thethe privilege to be alive.
(02:47):
This is like the most basic andprofound form of gratitude.
Simply being alive is not aguarantee, it's a gift.
Countless things had to goright for you to exist in this
moment.
Thinking about this puts all ofour daily anxieties into a
proper perspective.
In addition to that, the theprivilege to think.
(03:14):
Uh the privilege to think is uhis a tribute to our
consciousness and our capacityfor reason.
Emphasis on the reason.
We we have the ability to solveproblems, to learn, to
contemplate, and to create.
This is what sets us apart, andit's a profound gift we often
(03:37):
take for granted.
I think the uh the privilege tothink is such uh underrated
privilege because uh uh we oftendon't think we often don't
think we often don't know the uhthe effects of not being able
(04:00):
to think and work things out andorganize your chaos.
Um we often don't know whatthat can do for us.
Um I've been in plenty ofsituations where just kind of
like always want to go, orplenty points in my life where
I'm always wanting tosomething's always happening, or
(04:20):
I'm always getting hit over thehead with life stuff, and I
don't have the time to actuallyjust uh process and analyze and
see what I did right and seewhat I did wrong.
Um and it's only up untilyou're granted that time or just
that privilege to actuallyassess things where you you know
(04:43):
you start to make neededchanges, you start it, you start
to have growth within yourself.
You you right the wrongs, youknow what I mean?
Um you fight your demons, youyou you face your insecurities.
Um that privilege to think iseverybody's life isn't perfect,
(05:04):
but that one privilege, like Isaid, organizing your chaos.
Doesn't mean you got it allright and got it all figured
out, but you gotta you got ahandle on it.
You have control over it.
It's one of the privileges Ivalue I value with everything
that I have.
Another uh gift we take forgranted is the just the the the
(05:30):
privilege to enjoy.
This this reminds us of all thesmall and large joys in life,
the warmth of uh of a cup ofcoffee, the beauty of a sunrise,
the beauty of a woman's nakedbody, the pleasure of a good
book, the laughter with a goodfriend.
(05:54):
Life is filled with thesemoments of enjoyment, and
thinking of them as a privilegemakes us more present to them.
Now I must say, uh that's whatI'm learning to tap into more
and more as the as I get older.
The privilege to enjoy like yo.
Naked a naked woman's body,like, is there anything more
(06:18):
beautiful than that?
When you think about it, as aman, hell, as a woman, yo, it's
could I imagine life withoutbeing able to experience that?
No.
And speaking of uh the uh nakedwoman's body, uh the the thing
(06:43):
that we all can't live withoutis just the privilege to love.
Um this is perhaps the thegreatest privilege of all.
It's the ability to feel loveand to give love to family, to
friends, and to our partner.
It's our deepest connection toothers and our greatest source
of meaning.
By focusing on theseprivileges, we shift our mindset
(07:07):
from a scarcity and burden toabundance and gratitude.
This mental shift is thefoundation of a good day.
This quote can be a powerfulsolution to two of the most
common mental pitfalls, whichare anxiety and complacency.
(07:31):
So much of our anxiety isrooted in a focus of what's
missing, what could go wrong, orwhat we don't have.
This practice of mourninggratitude holds our attention
away from fear and towards theabundance of life.
By focusing on these privilegesof life, we build a mental
(07:54):
fortress that is hard for worryand fear to penetrate.
We are grounded in the presentmoment, filled with a sense of
peace.
Seeing life as a privilege alsoinspires us to act with a sense
of purpose and urgency.
(08:15):
When we take our lives forgranted, we become complacent,
we procrastinate, we neglect ourhealth, we take our
relationships for granted.
When we remember that life is aprivilege, it inspires us to
make the most of every day.
We don't want to waste thisprecious gift.
(08:36):
It's a call to action, not areason to be passive.
This simple morning thoughtprocess is a two-way street.
It gives us inner peace and itmotivates us to live with
intention.
There's been countless timeswhere I let anxiety and fear um
(09:07):
get into the get into the way ofthe the privilege that I have
to actually live the life that Ilive.
Um with me it comes from justbeing extremely too hard on
myself.
Um to the point where it'slike, hey, you're supposed to be
(09:33):
doing this, this, and this,yeah, you you reached this goal,
but this is where youultimately want to be at.
And I don't I don't recognizeor acknowledge not even the
small wins, but the the stepsand the process along the way is
a win.
It's ultimately a win becausesome people don't even get this
(09:54):
far.
Um and that's something that Idefinitely have a hard time with
doing and acknowledging withinmyself.
And it's like a it's like anever-ending, spiraling pit of
doom when it comes to that.
(10:15):
Because I'll have that mindset,and then I'm like, okay, well,
I'm not where I need to be, orthis isn't done to the way it
needs to be done, or the way Ithink it needs to be done.
Or yeah, it'll be that.
And then, okay, what's the nextstep?
(10:37):
And I'm like, well, damn,that's gonna take a lot of time,
or that's gonna take this,this, and this, or I'm not sure
if I have the tools for thatyet.
And then that's when theprocrastination comes into play.
Because you're like, it's gonnatake so much time, or it's
gonna take so much energy to dothat next step, that I
procrastinate on that next step.
Then I get scared ofcomplacency.
Then I'm fearful that I'llnever finish what I need to
(11:00):
finish.
Uh that's my biggest uh mybiggest issue with uh not
recognizing the the privilege oflife, the privilege to live
that I have.
That it is a journey.
It's not it's not a sprint.
There's gonna be ups and downs,highs and lows, bumps along the
(11:22):
way.
Um that I'm definitely workingto be better at.
Every day that you're alive isa win.
Every day, every day that youmove forward towards a goal or
uh uh a passion fulfilling whatyou think is your uh your
(11:45):
destiny is a privilege.
There's a lot of people thatdon't get to even see or start
simple things like hey, I saved$500 today, I put $500 in a
bank.
Some people don't have $500 toput in a bank.
It's like simple stuff, likebut as a whole, how do how could
(12:14):
a person you know put that inthe forefront of their their
mind their everyday theireveryday to to acknowledge or to
bask in the privilege of life.
The first thing we do in themorning sets the tone for our
(12:41):
our entire day.
Before we reach for our phone,before we check our emails or
social media or our stockoptions.
You know, take a moment.
As soon as we wake up, we cantake a f the few deep breaths,
we can close our eyes for aminute and mentally run through
(13:03):
those privileges in the quote.
You can expand upon them.
Like, I'm alive, uh the sun isshining, I have my health, stuff
like that.
I have a cup of coffee toenjoy, I have a family to love,
I can give a kind word to afriend.
(13:25):
Another way, which I don't knowhow some of you guys will
probably feel about this.
Uh creating a gratitudejournal.
I haven't heard the wordjournal in a long time since the
(13:45):
uh the Doug Funny days.
If you're old enough, you'reold enough, you know who Doug
Funny is.
But another this could beanother effective way to make
this habit a good habit and isto keep a gratitude journal by
your bed.
Write down three things you aregrateful for each morning.
Lastly, sharing your gratitudewith others can amplify its
(14:11):
effects.
A simple text to a loved onesaying, I'm grateful for you
today, can not only make themfeel good, but can also
reinforce your own sense ofgratitude.
The quote, when you arise inthe morning, think of what a
(14:32):
privilege it is to be alive, tothink, to enjoy, to love, is a
timeless and simple prescriptionfor a better life.
It reminds us that our greatestsource of peace and happiness
is not found in externalcircumstances, but in our own
internal attitude.
By beginning each day with asense of privilege and
(14:55):
gratitude, we are not justmaking our day better.
We are fundamentally reshapingour minds.
We are building a fortress ofinner peace that is resilient to
the inevitable challenges oflife.
It's a practice that shifts usfrom a state of obligation to a
state of purpose, and from astate of anxiety to a state of
(15:19):
profound contentment.
I want to thank you guys forjoining me on this episode of
the According to West Podcast.
Until next time, may you findpeace and purpose in every day.
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