Imagining something may be the first step in making it happen, but it takes the real time and real efforts of real people to learn things, make things, turn thoughts into deeds or visions into inventions.

Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire during one of its most turbulent periods — and met it with uncommon reflection and calm. His personal notes, collected in Meditations, were never meant for an audience. But today, they remain one of the most powerful testaments to inner clarity, humility, and strength.