Marcus Aurelius Meditations for the Modern Teens

Ancient Wisdom from Marcus Aurelius, Translated for Your Life

Introduction: Who Was Marcus Aurelius and Why Should You Care?

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor who lived almost 2,000 years ago. But here's what makes him different from most powerful people: he spent his nights writing private notes to himself about how to be a better person. He never meant for anyone to read them. He was dealing with wars, plagues, betrayals, and the pressure of running an empire—and he used writing to keep himself grounded.

These notes became known as Meditations. They're not preachy. They're honest thoughts from someone trying to figure out how to live well when everything feels hard.

You're living in a different kind of chaos—algorithms designed to addict you, constant comparison on social media, pressure to have your whole life figured out, a world that feels like it's always on fire. But the core struggles? They're the same. How do you stay true to yourself? How do you deal with difficult people? How do you not waste your one life?

Let's dive in.

Part 1: Taking Control of Your Mind

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality

Marcus said: "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."

What this means for you: Your brain is like a phone with a million apps running at once. Most of them you didn't even choose to download—they came from your parents, your school, social media, your friends. Some of these apps are helpful. Many are trash.

Here's the truth: You can't control what happens to you, but you can always control how you think about it.

Someone posts something that makes you feel left out? That's an event. The story you tell yourself about it ("I'm not good enough," "Nobody likes me," "I'm always left out") is what actually hurts you.

Try this: When something upsets you, pause and ask: "What story am I telling myself right now? Is it true, or is it just one possible interpretation?" This one skill will change your life.

You Don't Need Everyone to Like You

Marcus said: "If someone doesn't like you, remember that they're acting according to their own understanding. You can't control that."

What this means for you: Middle school and high school can feel like a popularity contest you never signed up for. Here's what nobody tells you: trying to make everyone like you is a guaranteed path to misery. It's also impossible.

Some people won't like you because you remind them of someone else. Some won't like you because they're jealous. Some won't like you because they're having a terrible day and taking it out on whoever's nearby. None of this is actually about you.

The people who matter will stick around. The ones who don't? They're background characters in your story.

Try this: Focus on being someone you respect. If you act with integrity and kindness, the right people will find you. The wrong people will filter themselves out. This is a good thing.

Stop Waiting for Your Life to Start

Marcus said: "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think."

What this means for you: This sounds dark, but it's actually the opposite. Marcus isn't trying to scare you—he's trying to wake you up.

How much time do you spend thinking "I'll be happy when..."? When I get into that college. When I get that relationship. When I finally look the way I want. When summer comes. When I'm done with school.

You're always waiting for your "real life" to begin. But this is your real life. Right now. This Tuesday afternoon, this boring class, this moment scrolling on your phone—this is it.

Try this: At least once a day, ask yourself: "If this was my last day alive, would I be proud of how I spent it?" Not every day has to be epic. But if the answer is always "no," something needs to change.

Part 2: Dealing With Other People

Most People Are Doing Their Best (Even When It Doesn't Look Like It)

Marcus said: "When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. But I've seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and I've recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own."

What this means for you: People are going to disappoint you. Your friends will flake. Your parents won't understand. Teachers will be unfair. Someone you trusted will let you slip.

Marcus knew this 2,000 years ago. He was dealing with people trying to assassinate him, betray him, and take advantage of him. And his response? "They're human, just like me. They're confused and struggling too."

This doesn't mean you let people walk all over you. It means you don't take their dysfunction personally. Their bad behavior usually says more about their pain than your worth.

Try this: When someone's being difficult, get curious instead of angry. What might be going on in their life? What are they afraid of? This doesn't excuse bad behavior, but it helps you not absorb their negativity.

Set Boundaries Without Guilt

Marcus said: "It's not your job to fix everyone's problems."

What this means for you: (Okay, Marcus didn't say it exactly like that, but it's throughout his writings.) You're probably being told to be kind, to help others, to be a good friend. All true. But here's what gets left out: You can't pour from an empty cup.

If you're the friend everyone vents to but nobody checks in on, that's a problem. If you're saying yes when you want to say no because you're afraid people will be mad, that's a problem. If you're carrying everyone else's emotional baggage while yours piles up, that's a problem.

Try this: Practice saying "no" to small things. "No, I can't hang out tonight—I need some downtime." "No, I can't help with that right away." "No, I'm not comfortable with that." It feels awkward at first. Then it feels like freedom.

Don't Argue With Fools

Marcus said: "The best revenge is to be unlike those who hurt you."

What this means for you: Someone's talking trash about you online. Someone's trying to start drama. Someone's baiting you into an argument.

Every cell in your body wants to respond, to defend yourself, to clap back. Here's the thing: engaging with people who aren't arguing in good faith is like wrestling a pig. You both get dirty, but the pig likes it.

Your silence and dignity speak louder than any comeback ever could.

Try this: Before you respond to something inflammatory, wait 24 hours. If it still matters then, respond calmly or not at all. Most of the time, you'll realize it wasn't worth your energy.

Part 3: Building Your Character

Small Choices Become Your Life

Marcus said: "Waste no more time arguing about what a good person should be. Be one."

What this means for you: Who you are isn't determined by some big, dramatic moment. It's determined by a thousand tiny choices:

Do you put your phone away when someone's talking to you?
Do you pick up the trash even when nobody's watching?
Do you tell the truth even when a lie would be easier?
Do you stick up for someone who's being excluded?
Do you do your homework even when you could probably get away with not doing it?

These seem small. They're not. They're everything. Your character is built in these moments.

Try this: Pick one small area where you know you could do better. Maybe it's being on time. Maybe it's not talking behind people's backs. Maybe it's putting your dishes in the dishwasher. Master that one thing. Then add another.

Failure Is Information, Not Identity

Marcus said: "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."

What this means for you: You're going to fail. You'll bomb a test. You'll get rejected. You'll try something and look stupid. You'll lose the game, mess up the performance, get turned down.

Most people let failure define them: "I'm not smart enough." "I'm not talented." "I'm a loser."

Marcus saw obstacles differently: they're not blocking your path, they are the path. Every failure teaches you something. Every rejection redirects you. Every hard moment makes you stronger.

The only real failure is not trying because you're afraid to fail.

Try this: When something doesn't work out, ask yourself three questions:

What did I learn?
What would I do differently next time?
What's one small action I can take to move forward?

Then take that action.

Discipline Is Freedom

Marcus said: "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

What this means for you: This is going to sound backwards, but the more disciplined you are, the more freedom you have.

When you stay on top of your work, you have free time without guilt. When you take care of your body, you have energy to do what you want. When you manage your money, you have options. When you cultivate good relationships, you have support.

The kid who does whatever they want whenever they want isn't free—they're controlled by impulses, by mood swings, by whatever grabs their attention. That's not freedom. That's being a leaf in the wind.

Try this: Pick one area of your life and add structure:

Set a regular bedtime
Plan your week on Sunday nights
Work out three times a week
Save 10% of any money you get

Watch how this discipline in one area creates space and freedom everywhere else.

Part 4: Staying Grounded in a Crazy World

Most of What You Worry About Won't Happen

Marcus said: "We suffer more in imagination than in reality."

What this means for you: Your brain is designed to anticipate threats. This kept your ancestors alive when they had to worry about lions. Now? Your brain treats a social media notification the same way it treats a predator.

You're lying awake at 2 AM catastrophizing: What if I fail the test? What if they don't text back? What if I don't get in? What if everyone thinks I'm weird? What if my whole life falls apart?

Most of these fears will never happen. And the ones that do? You'll handle them when they come. Not at 2 AM in your head.

Try this: When anxiety spirals, ask yourself: "What's actually happening right now, in this moment?" Usually, right now, you're safe. You're breathing. You're okay. Stay in the present.

Take Breaks From the Noise

Marcus said: "People seek retreats for themselves in the countryside, by the sea, in the mountains. But this is altogether unphilosophical when you can retreat into yourself whenever you want."

What this means for you: Your phone is designed by the smartest engineers in the world to keep you scrolling. The apps you use have literally studied brain chemistry to make you addicted. This isn't your fault, but it is your responsibility to manage.

You don't need to delete everything and live in a cave. But you do need to create pockets of quiet in your life—time when you're not consuming content, not being marketed to, not comparing yourself to anyone.

Try this:

Put your phone in another room when you're doing homework
Take a 24-hour break from social media once a month
Go for a walk without headphones
Sit in silence for five minutes and just notice what you're thinking

Your brain needs space to process your life. Give it that space.

Gratitude Changes Everything

Marcus said: "When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

What this means for you: It's easy to focus on what's wrong. What you don't have. Who's ahead of you. What's unfair.

But there's another way to look at your life: You're alive in an era with medicine, music, stories, technology, and opportunities that emperors couldn't have imagined. You have people who love you. You have possibilities.

This doesn't mean pretending problems don't exist. It means not letting what's wrong blind you to what's right.

Try this: Every night before bed, write down three specific things that were good about your day. Not big things necessarily—maybe your lunch was really good, or someone made you laugh, or you got to pet a dog. Do this for 30 days and watch how your brain starts looking for the good stuff automatically.

Part 5: Your Legacy Starts Now

You're Already Building Your Life

Marcus said: "Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."

What this means for you: You're not "preparing" for your life. You're in it. The person you're becoming isn't determined by the college you get into or the job you land someday. It's being determined right now, by how you treat people, how you handle challenges, what you choose to pay attention to.

Ten years from now, you won't remember most of the things you're stressed about. But you will remember how you made people feel. You'll remember the kind of person you chose to be when nobody was watching.

Try this: Imagine yourself at 25, looking back at yourself today. What advice would that older, wiser version of you give you right now? What would they tell you matters? What would they tell you to stop worrying about?

Now take that advice.

Final Thoughts: You've Got This

Marcus Aurelius was one of the most powerful people in the world, and he still had to remind himself daily to be patient, to be kind, to not waste time, to focus on what he could control.

If an emperor needed these reminders, you definitely do too. We all do.

You're growing up in a world that wants to distract you, compare you, rush you, and make you feel like you're never enough. But you have something powerful: the ability to choose your thoughts, your actions, your character.

The chaos around you is real. But so is your ability to create an inner calm that nobody can touch.

Start small. Pick one idea from this book and practice it this week. Then another. Then another.

You're building a foundation that will hold you steady when everything else is shaking. That's not just important—it's everything.

You've got this.

"The obstacle is the way. The way forward is through." — Marcus Aurelius (sort of)

SPECIAL SECTION: For Those Who Feel Like They Don't Fit

When Middle School Feels Like Survival Mode

If You're Reading This, You're Not Alone

Let's talk about something real: Middle school can feel like being dropped into a war zone where nobody gave you a map, armor, or even told you what the rules were.

One day you're a kid and things make sense. Then suddenly—around ages 11-14—everything explodes. Your body starts changing in ways you didn't ask for and can't control. Your brain is literally being rewired (we'll get to the science in a minute). Friends you've had since elementary school suddenly act like strangers. Social hierarchies appear out of nowhere, and somehow you ended up at the bottom without understanding how or why.

And the worst part? The adults around you—parents, teachers, counselors—often don't see it. Or they see it and do nothing. Or they say things like "kids will be kids" or "this is just a phase" while you're drowning.

If this is you—if you feel like the weirdo, the outcast, the one who doesn't fit—I need you to know something: What you're experiencing is real, it's not your fault, and there is a way through.

Marcus Aurelius would understand you better than you might think.

The Science of Why This Age Is So Brutal

Here's what nobody tells you: Your brain is under construction, and it's going to feel chaotic because it literally IS chaos.

Between ages 10-14, your brain goes through the most dramatic changes since you were a toddler. Here's what's happening:

Your Brain Is Being Demolished and Rebuilt

The prefrontal cortex—the part that handles rational thinking, impulse control, and perspective—is being completely renovated. It won't be fully developed until you're about 25. Meanwhile, your amygdala (the emotional, reactive part) is running the show.

What this means: You're driving a race car with incredibly sensitive pedals but the steering wheel isn't fully installed yet. You feel everything intensely—rejection, embarrassment, fear, desire—but the part of your brain that says "wait, is this really as catastrophic as it feels?" isn't online yet.

When someone excludes you or makes fun of you, your brain processes it with the same intensity as a physical threat. It's not weakness. It's neurobiology.

Your Body Is Betraying You

Puberty floods your system with hormones you've never experienced. Testosterone, estrogen, growth hormones—they don't arrive gradually. They crash into your system like a tsunami.

What this means:

Your emotions swing wildly for biochemical reasons, not because you're "dramatic"
Your body changes in ways that feel awkward, wrong, or shameful
You compare yourself to others who seem to be developing "normally" (spoiler: nobody feels normal)
Your skin breaks out, your voice cracks, you grow too fast or too slow, everything feels wrong

Add to this: You're supposed to be learning algebra and navigating complex social dynamics while your body is staging a revolution.

The Social Hell Is Actually a Developmental Stage (But That Doesn't Make It Hurt Less)

Psychologically, adolescence is when you're supposed to start separating from your parents and forming your own identity. This is normal. But here's where it gets brutal:

You turn hyperaware of social status and belonging. From an evolutionary perspective, being excluded from the tribe meant death. Your brain still thinks this way. When you're left out, bullied, or rejected, your brain's threat response activates. This is why social pain feels physically painful—because to your ancient brain, it IS dangerous.

You become hypercritical of everything. Your parents suddenly seem embarrassing or wrong about everything. Your body seems defective. Your interests seem childish or weird. This isn't you being ungrateful or broken—it's your brain trying to figure out who YOU are separate from who you've been told to be.

You're navigating a social system that's often cruel by design. Middle school puts hundreds of kids going through the same chaos into a building together, organizes them by arbitrary age groups, and provides minimal supervision during the times that matter most (lunch, between classes, online). Then adults act surprised when it turns into Lord of the Flies.

Why Schools Often Fail You

Let's be honest about something: Most schools are not equipped to handle what you're going through.

Here's why:

Bullying Is Often Minimized or Ignored

Teachers and administrators are often overwhelmed, undertrained, or in denial about how bad it really is. They might:

Not see it (bullying is sophisticated now—it's exclusion, whisper campaigns, online harassment)
See it but not know how to address it effectively
Downplay it ("just ignore them," "they're jealous," "toughen up")
Blame you for being "too sensitive" or "a target"

The truth: Bullying is not a "normal part of growing up." It's psychological warfare, and its effects are documented: increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and even suicide. This isn't melodrama. This is medical fact.

The Academic Pressure Intensifies at the Worst Possible Time

Right when your brain is least equipped to handle it, school gets serious:

Homework triples
Grades "start to matter" for high school and college
You're expected to suddenly be organized, self-motivated, and responsible
Falling behind feels catastrophic

The truth: You're being asked to perform academically at a high level during the most neurologically chaotic period of your life. If you're struggling, it doesn't mean you're stupid. It means you're human.

Zero Support for the Real Issues

Most schools offer minimal mental health support. One counselor for 500 kids. No real education about:

How to handle emotions when they're overwhelming
What to do when you feel suicidal or want to hurt yourself
How to build real friendships versus toxic ones
How to deal with body image issues, eating disorders, self-harm urges
How to handle sexuality, gender identity, or any complexity around who you are

You're left to figure it out alone, or with other kids who are just as lost as you are.

For Those Who Feel Like Weirdos: You're Actually the Ones Who Get It

If you feel like you don't fit in, if you're bullied, if you feel like an alien observing a species you don't understand—listen carefully:

The kids who coast through middle school fitting in perfectly often haven't had to develop depth. They're running on social autopilot. They haven't had to question, struggle, or build real character because they've never had to.

You—the weirdo, the outcast, the one who doesn't fit—you're being forged in fire. This is the worst news and the best news you'll ever hear.

Marcus Aurelius wasn't born an emperor sitting on a throne feeling wise. He became Marcus Aurelius through struggle, through having to lead during a plague, through betrayal, through watching people he loved die, through having to make impossible decisions.

He wrote Meditations not because life was easy but because it was brutally hard and he needed a way to survive it without losing himself.

You're in your version of that right now.

When You Hate Your Body: The Radical Truth

Let's address this directly because it's one of the most painful parts:

You might hate how you look. Too tall, too short, too fat, too skinny, wrong features, bad skin, developing too fast or too slow, body parts that feel wrong for your gender, comparing yourself to carefully edited images online.

Here's what Marcus would tell you:

Your Body Is Not Your Enemy

Marcus said: "You have power over your mind—not outside events."

Your body is going through changes it's biologically programmed to go through. It's not failing you. It's not wrong. It's doing exactly what human bodies do during adolescence, which is awkward and uncomfortable for literally everyone, even the people who look like they have it together.

The real issue: You're living in a culture that has weaponized appearance. Social media shows you filtered, edited, curated perfection and tells you that's normal. It's not. It's a lie designed to make you feel inadequate so you'll buy things.

What you can control:

How you treat your body (fuel it, move it, rest it, don't punish it)
Whether you participate in the comparison game (spoiler: nobody wins that game)
Building an identity based on character, skills, interests, and how you treat people—things that actually last

Try this: Stand in front of a mirror and instead of criticizing, thank your body. "Thank you for healing my cuts. Thank you for letting me hug people. Thank you for letting me taste food, hear music, feel sunshine." This will feel ridiculous at first. Do it anyway.

When Your Parents Don't Get It: Understanding the Divide

Around this age, your parents probably started seeming embarrassing, out of touch, or just wrong about everything. This causes massive guilt for many kids—"I should be grateful, why am I so angry at them?"

Here's the psychology:

You're Supposed to Differentiate

Part of becoming your own person means seeing your parents as flawed humans, not perfect authorities. This is healthy development. The problem is it feels like betrayal.

Your parents also probably:

Didn't grow up with social media and don't understand its psychological impact
Went through their own adolescence differently (different era, different challenges)
Are scared for you and that fear comes out as control, dismissiveness, or anger
Have their own unresolved trauma that affects how they parent

What Marcus would say:

Marcus said: "The best revenge is to be unlike those who hurt you."

Your parents are human. They're doing their best with limited information and their own wounds. This doesn't excuse bad parenting—if you're being abused or neglected, that's not okay and you need to tell a trusted adult.

But if they're just... imperfect? Annoying? Not understanding you? That's normal.

Try this:

Accept that they won't fully get what you're going through—and that's okay
Find other adults who DO get it (a teacher, counselor, coach, mentor, friend's parent)
Recognize that pushing away from them is part of growing up, but it doesn't have to be cruel
When you're both calm, try explaining your world to them without expecting them to fix it

For Those Having Dark Thoughts: When You Feel Like Giving Up

If you're thinking about hurting yourself or ending your life, I need to tell you something that Marcus Aurelius knew deeply:

Marcus said: "The universe is change; life is opinion."

What this means: The pain you feel right now is real. But the story you're telling yourself about that pain—that it will never end, that you're broken beyond repair, that there's no way forward—that's not truth. That's brain chemistry and circumstance and exhaustion talking.

The Psychological Reality of Suicidal Thoughts

When you're in extreme emotional pain, your brain enters a state where it can't imagine the future or remember that feelings change. It's called "tunnel vision" or "psychache"—psychological pain so intense that your brain starts seeing death as a solution.

Here's the truth your brain can't access right now:

Feelings are temporary states, not permanent realities. You've felt differently before. You will feel differently again.
Your brain is lying to you about the future. Depression and trauma literally impair your ability to imagine positive futures. It's not that there IS no future—it's that you can't SEE it right now. There's a difference.
You are not your thoughts. You are the observer of your thoughts. The fact that you're having a thought doesn't make it true.
Pain can be transformed. The kids who go through hell and survive often become the most compassionate, interesting, resilient adults. Your pain can become your superpower—but only if you stay alive to transform it.

Immediate Actions If You're in Crisis

If you're having thoughts of suicide:

Text "HELLO" to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) - You'll be connected with a trained counselor
Call 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) - They will talk you through this moment
Tell an adult immediately - Yes, even if you think they won't understand. A school counselor, a parent, any adult.
Get yourself safe - Remove means of self-harm from your immediate environment

If you're self-harming: You're trying to cope with emotional pain by creating physical pain you can control. This makes psychological sense, but there are other ways:

Hold ice cubes in your hands until they melt
Snap a rubber band on your wrist
Do intense exercise (run, do burpees until you're exhausted)
Draw on yourself with red marker where you want to cut

These are harm-reduction strategies while you get real help. You need to talk to a therapist who specializes in self-harm. This isn't something you can willpower your way through alone.

Becoming a Warrior: Marcus Aurelius's Path for the Broken

Here's what makes Marcus Aurelius different from other ancient philosophers: He didn't write for the comfortable. He wrote for people in the arena.

If you feel broken, weird, outcast, or like you're barely surviving—you're exactly who this wisdom is for.

Principle 1: The Obstacle Is the Forge

Marcus said: "What stands in the way becomes the way."

Every person who's ever done something meaningful has a origin story that involves pain:

J.K. Rowling was a broke single mom dealing with depression when she wrote Harry Potter
Lady Gaga was bullied relentlessly and thrown in trash cans
Michael Phelps was told he'd never amount to anything and had ADHD
Malala was shot in the head for wanting education

Your bullying, your exclusion, your struggles—they're not disqualifying you from future success. They're building something in you that comfortable people never develop.

You're learning:

Resilience—how to get back up
Empathy—what it feels like to hurt, so you won't inflict it on others
Independence—how to stand alone when necessary
Authenticity—who you are when you can't hide behind popularity

This doesn't make the pain okay. But it does make it meaningful.

Principle 2: You Are Not Your Circumstances

Marcus said: "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

Right now you might be:

The kid who gets bullied
The weird one
The one with no friends
The one with the wrong body, wrong clothes, wrong everything

But that's not who you ARE. That's just your current situation.

Who you are:

The observer of all this
The one making choices about how to respond
The one building character in the hardest possible circumstances
A warrior in training

Try this: Start a private journal (password protected, hidden, completely private) where you write as your future self—the badass adult version of you who made it through this. Have that version write letters to current-you with perspective, compassion, and guidance.

Principle 3: Control the Controllables

When everything feels chaotic, focus on the tiny things you CAN control:

You can't control:

Whether people like you
If you get invited
What your body looks like during puberty
If teachers are fair
If your parents understand
If the bullying stops

You CAN control:

Whether you do the next right thing
How you treat people (be the person you needed to meet)
What you consume (limit social media, choose better content)
Whether you ask for help
Your morning routine, your bedtime, what you eat
What skills you're building
What you're learning about yourself

Try this: Make a "control circle." Draw two circles—a small one inside a big one. In the small circle, write everything you CAN control. In the outer circle, everything you can't. When you're spiraling, look at your control circle and pick ONE thing from it to focus on.

Principle 4: Build Your Inner Fortress

Marcus said: "The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."

If your external world is hostile, you need to build an internal world that's safe. This isn't escapism—it's survival strategy.

Ways to build your fortress:

1. Find your people (even if they're not at your school)

Online communities around your interests (art, gaming, writing, whatever)
Activities outside school (theater, martial arts, coding clubs, anything)
One solid friend is worth more than 50 shallow ones

2. Develop a skill that's YOURS

Something you can get good at that gives you identity beyond school social dynamics
Music, art, writing, coding, gaming, sports, building things, whatever speaks to you
This becomes proof that you're capable and interesting even when your peers can't see it

3. Create a daily practice

5-10 minutes where you deliberately calm your nervous system
Could be: journaling, drawing, meditation, walking, listening to music, deep breathing
This trains your brain that you have a refuge

4. Curate your inputs

Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad
Limit time on social media (seriously—it's engineered to make you feel inadequate)
Choose content that builds you up (inspiring stories, education, humor)

Principle 5: Use Your Anger as Fuel

If you're angry at the unfairness, the bullying, the adults who don't help—good. Use it.

Marcus was angry too. At corrupt officials, at people who betrayed him, at the unfairness of plague and war. But he channeled it into becoming a better leader, a better person, a better thinker.

Your anger can become:

Motivation to prove people wrong
Drive to create the community you wish existed
Passion to protect others from what you've experienced
Energy to build the life you want instead of accepting the one you have

The key: Don't let anger make you cruel or destructive. Let it make you determined.

Try this: When you're angry, write it out uncensored. Every terrible thought. Then read it, take what's useful (the truth about what needs to change), and let go of the rest. Channel the energy into action.

The Long Game: Why Surviving This Matters

Here's something nobody's telling you: The kids who peak in middle school often have nowhere to go but down. The kids who struggle through it have nowhere to go but up.

The Social Hierarchy Is Temporary

The popular kids, the bullies, the ones who seem to have it all figured out—their system only works in this tiny ecosystem of one school during these few years.

In the real world:

Being genuinely interesting matters more than being cool
Kindness and reliability matter more than status
Skills and character matter more than who you sit with at lunch

The weirdos inherit the earth. The kids who were too into their interests, too awkward, too different—they become the entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, leaders. Because they learned to think independently.

Your Future Self Is Watching

Ten years from now, you'll look back at this time. What do you want that future version of you to see?

Do you want them to see someone who:

Gave up?
Became like the people who hurt them?
Got through by going numb?

Or someone who:

Survived against the odds?
Stayed true to themselves when everyone said to change?
Built something meaningful from the pain?

Every day you survive this, you're proving something important: You're stronger than your circumstances.

Practical Warrior Training: Daily Practices

Here are concrete things you can do EVERY DAY to build yourself into the warrior you're meant to become:

Morning Routine (10 minutes)

Remind yourself who you're becoming (not who you are right now)
- "I am becoming someone who is strong, kind, and resilient"
- "Today's struggles are building tomorrow's strength"
Identify one small win you'll create today
- "I will speak to one person kindly"
- "I will finish one assignment"
- "I will take care of my body"
Accept that today might be hard—and that you can handle it
- "I've survived every bad day so far. I can survive today."

During the Day

When someone is cruel: Don't react immediately. Breathe. Remember they're fighting their own battles and taking it out on you. Respond with dignity or not at all.
When you feel excluded: Remind yourself this is one moment in one phase of your life. Find something productive to do with your time and energy.
When you feel overwhelmed: Find somewhere quiet (bathroom, library, outside). Take 5 deep breaths. Count backwards from 10. You're resetting your nervous system.
When you compare yourself: Stop the thought. Say out loud or in your head: "Their journey is not my journey. I'm on my own path."

Evening Routine (10 minutes)

Write down one thing you survived today
Write down one thing you're grateful for (even something tiny)
Write down one thing you learned (about yourself, about people, about life)
Remind yourself: "I made it through another day. I'm building my strength."

Weekly Practice

Every Sunday, write yourself a letter:

What was hard this week?
What did you learn?
What's one thing you want to work on next week?
What's one thing you did well?

This creates a record of your growth that you can look back on when you feel stuck.

A Letter From Your Future Self

Imagine the version of you that made it through this. They're 25, maybe 30. They're living a life they built. They're surrounded by people who actually see them. They're using their struggles to help others. They're grateful they survived.

Here's what they want to tell you:

Dear younger me,

I know you can't see it right now, but you're going to make it. Not just survive—you're going to build something beautiful from all this pain.

Those kids bullying you? Most of them peaked at 16 and spent the rest of their lives trying to recapture it. You haven't even started becoming who you're meant to be.

That body you hate? It's going to carry you through adventures you can't imagine yet. You'll learn to appreciate it, maybe even love it. And even if you don't, you'll realize it's the least interesting thing about you.

The loneliness you feel? It's teaching you to be comfortable with yourself. That's a superpower most people never develop.

The adults who didn't help? Some of them didn't know how. Some were cowards. Either way, you learned that sometimes you have to save yourself. That lesson will serve you forever.

Please don't give up. I'm on the other side of this telling you: it gets so much better. Not perfect—life is never perfect. But better in ways you can't imagine from where you're standing.

Every day you survive, you're building me. I'm grateful for your strength.

Keep going. I'm waiting for you.

—Future You

Final Truth: You're Not Broken, You're Breaking Through

Marcus Aurelius became Marcus Aurelius not in spite of his struggles, but because of them.

You're not the weird kid who doesn't fit in. You're the warrior learning to stand alone.

You're not the broken kid who's too sensitive. You're the one who feels deeply and will use that depth to create something meaningful.

You're not the kid who's failing at this stage of life. You're the one going through the hardest level while everyone else is still on tutorial mode.

This is not forever. This is the making of you.

The world needs people who've been to hell and came back stronger. The world needs people who know what it's like to hurt and choose kindness anyway. The world needs people who built themselves from nothing when everyone counted them out.

The world needs you.

Not the polished, perfect, popular version of you.

You. The messy, struggling, real you who's fighting like hell to survive and become.

Marcus would see you. He'd recognize a fellow warrior.

Now you need to see yourself that way too.

Resources for Warriors in Training:

Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988
Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth): 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678
RAINN (Sexual assault): 1-800-656-4673
National Eating Disorders Association: Text "NEDA" to 741741
Your school counselor (even if you think they won't help, try)

You are not alone. You are not too much. You are not broken.

You are becoming.

Tuesday, November 4, 2025