“On those mornings you struggle with getting up, keep this thought in mind — I am awakening to the work of a human being. Why then am I annoyed that I am going to do what I'm made for, the very things for which I was put into this world? Or was I made for this, to snuggle under the covers and keep warm? It's so pleasurable. Were you then made for pleasure? In short, to be coddled or to exert yourself?”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.1
July 6, 2021 7:00 AM
The purpose of our alarm buzzing is to be jarring. For some, the first response is to hit the snooze. It appears Marcus Aurelius struggled with this same wakening.
Sleeping a little longer may provide us with a tiny bit of pleasure. It takes away something valuable from our day, time.
Conclusion
Sleep is crucial to our health but sleeping in robs us of time. Time meant to be of service to ourselves. Duty to family, to friends, to the community, and the world.