Who Doesn't Want To Be First?

It's day 170 of documenting 2025.

Mid-week vibes 😎
If there's anything cooler than the recent weather, I don't want in!
The cool temp is wonderful...

Thought aside, yesterday went well.
Mostly.
I was able to carry out school activities even though I was very tired.
I slept through break time and I had to reschedule the crochet session I barely started with two of the students.

Well, I think I had enough sleep.
We're ready to conquer the day!

Speaking of conquer, I realized something this morning.
People always want to be the first.
I think it's some kind of programming.
Okay, let me explain with some scenarios.

Just this morning, as my siblings and I were getting ready for school, my youngest brother boasted that he was the first to 'launch' the new toothpaste.
Dad brought it last night.
You know what I said?
I was like, "wrong bro....I brushed before you woke up!"
And he was like, "Sister, I used it last night!"

As he said that, I smiled.
Then I thought about how the students were always competing for me to mark their notes.
They would be literally pushing themselves and I would raise my voice so they would stay in check.

When I would mark the first note, the owner would rejoice and say, "I'm the first!"
And don't think it's only the junior secondary class...
The seniors do it too.

I hope with these few points of mine, I have been able to convince you and not confuse you of my realization.
We all want to be the first.
(Sounds familiar? 😄)

Jokes apart tho....
Being the first isn't always the greatest thing.
I'm the first born in my family....I know what I'm talking about 🥲
Just saying...

Let's move on to the sections for today.
For Highlights, I shared the whole note instead of picking parts of it.
And for Meditations,

365 Days With Self-discipline
📌 On Supply and Demand

"Supply and demand: the more people do something, the less valuable it is."
Quote by Derek Sivers

An often-overlooked benefit of self-discipline is that it’s a rare trait.
Consequently, it makes you a more valuable employee when compared to your lazy colleagues, a more respected boss when compared to a boss who demands a lot from others but not from themselves, or a more trustworthy business partner when compared to a person who doesn’t mind cutting corners.

Since self-discipline is so hard to attain, there will always be more demand than supply.
This can indirectly lead to more opportunities and a better financial
situation.

If you still find it hard to resist temptations, emotions often get the best of you, and you can’t overcome the allure of instant gratification, try to give self-discipline a monetary value.
The fact that you’re becoming more productive (thanks to more self-
discipline) increases your chances of being promoted at work.

More self-discipline means that you’ll improve more quickly at a skill that you plan to monetize soon.
And if you’re an entrepreneur, it directly affects how much income you generate.

It probably sounds ridiculous to suggest that you can become a more self-disciplined person by linking self-discipline with higher income, but can you deny that money is a powerful motivator for many people ?

If I were to give you $100,000 if you eliminated three bad habits from your life, I’m pretty sure that no matter how many times you had failed to get rid of them before, this time you’d succeed.
Think of self-discipline in the same category as any other skill or credential you could list on your resume or in a sales brochure.

It doesn’t cost anything (other than your time and energy) to develop this ability, and the return on this investment can be higher than any other lucrative endeavor you might pursue.

Monetary value of self-discipline? That's a new one!

Especially the part about receiving half a million dollars in exchange for giving up your old habits.
Majority of people will definitely sign up for that 😂

Now, let's see what Marcus Aurelius has for us today...
PS. The lessons I share don't have a specific title.
They're just part of different books.
Maybe I should just indicate what book I got it from...🤔

Meditations
📌 Book 3 : In Carnuntum

6. If, at some point in your life, you should come across anything better than justice, honesty, self-control, courage—than a mind satisfied that it has succeeded in enabling you to act rationally, and satisfied to accept what’s beyond its control—if you find anything better than that, embrace it without reservations—it must be an extraordinary thing indeed—and enjoy it to the full.

But if nothing presents itself that’s superior to the spirit that lives within—the one that has subordinated individual desires to itself, that discriminates among impressions, that has broken free of physical temptations (as Socrates used to say), and subordinated itself to the gods,
and looks out for human beings’ welfare—if you find that there’s nothing more important or valuable than that . . .

. . . then don’t make room for anything but it—for anything that might lead you astray, tempt you off the road, and leave you unable to devote yourself completely to achieving the goodness that is uniquely yours.

It would be wrong for anything to stand between you and attaining goodness—as a rational being and a citizen.
Anything at all: the applause of the crowd, high office, wealth, or self-indulgence. All of them might seem to be compatible with it—for a while.
But suddenly they control us and sweep us away.

So make your choice straightforwardly, once and for all, and stick to it.
Choose what’s best.
Best is what benefits me.
As a rational being? Then follow through. Or just as an animal?
Then say so and stand your ground without making a show of it. (Just make sure you’ve done your homework first.)

Even Marcus Aurelius knows about homework? 😳
Some things never change, I guess.
Oh! It's the translation....
I don't think he wrote the book in English.

Anyhoo....
That's all for today
I hope your day goes well.
If it doesn't, just remember that everything happens for a reason.

Thanks for reading 🎀
Thanks for visiting my little corner of the internet.
I hope you'll come again.

By the way, you can check out the main website to catch up on former posts.
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I'll see you there 😉

I'm Duon Ada.
I'm documenting 2025,
And I'll see you tomorrow.
Ciao 💕