Why Marcus Aurelius Outsells Historical Triumphs of Glory (and why you should write your story now)
Do you have a story in your head waiting to come out? One of my favourite books from the classical section is a small book of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. If you haven’t read it, it’s one of those books you can open at any page, read a line or a paragraph, and that’s often that’s sufficient to give you food for thought.
Now, Marcus Aurelius didn’t just write Meditations. He was an accomplished writer and produced volumes of work, just as many of his counterparts did.
But here’s what I find fascinating, nearly 1,800 years later, Meditations continues to outsell tales of triumph and glory, historical records, biographies, and epic accounts of conquest.
And yet Meditations is pretty much all about this…
it’s better to be a good man than a bad one.
That’s it.
What makes it even more interesting is that Meditations was never meant to be published. It was a private journal, notes to himself (perheps similar to the journal notes some of us often scribble before bedtime), written to stay grounded and humble while leading armies on the frontiers of the Roman Empire.
He was journalling in tents, in between battles, presumably under intense pressure and stress constantly asking himself “What does it mean to be a good man?”
I think Meditations resonates so deeply because it’s so raw. It’s written with an open heart, with no particular audience in mind. Instead of glorifying his achievements or recording military victories, he was writing to make sense of himself.
And in doing so, he reminds us of something deeply human — the importance of shared experience, emotional honesty, vulnerability, things like fear, death, fame, failure. It’s timeless, because the emotions are universal.
Well, I’m not surprised the book still sells.
Because the kind of writing that makes you pause, reflect, and feel something usually comes from someone being brave enough to be real.
That’s why personal stories matter.
Yes, writing about glory and chronology has its place (and yes, those books sell too). But if you have a personal story inside you — one that’s still forming, still lingering — chances are, it’s ready to come out.
And chances are, people are waiting to read your story. To hear your version of how you became who you are.
There Are a Couple of Ways to Write a Book:
You can write a book yourself, and then get the book published.
Or You can hire a ghostwriter to help bring your story to life.
If you love writing, it’s a powerful way to make sense of your thoughts and experiences. But not everyone is a writer, but that does not mean your book does not deserve to be writtern. What matters is the story you’re carrying and the desire to tell.
I can help you publish your book or write your book. Visit here for more.
Here’s to your next book project
Tamara Forrest-Smith
