Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again
Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished.
The words of Marcus Aurelius—“Begin—to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished”—resound like the steady voice of a general urging his soldiers to rise at dawn. They remind us that the greatest weight in any endeavor lies not in the labor itself, but in the first motion, the act of setting hand to task. For once the soul has overcome hesitation, the rest flows like a river already freed from its dam.
The ancients understood that the enemy of all achievement is delay. Procrastination, fear, and the clinging comfort of idleness are heavier chains than any iron. Marcus Aurelius, a philosopher and emperor, knew that victory—whether on the battlefield or within the self—was born from the courage to begin. He teaches us that once the first stroke is made, the burden already lessens, for the spirit has conquered inertia.
To see work as a series of beginnings is also a path to endurance. Rather than be crushed by the thought of the entire mountain to climb, the wise break it into steps. Each time we begin, we advance. Each new start is both progress and victory, until at last the summit is reached. Thus, Aurelius shows us that perseverance is not one great effort, but the willingness to begin again and again.
There is also heroism in this counsel. For the world often praises only the finished triumph, the shining monument, the completed task. But the true battle lies in the quiet, unseen moment when the will commands the body: Rise. Start. Do not wait. The emperor reminds us that glory is not a sudden flame but a steady fire, kindled each time we dare to take the first step.
So let this teaching endure: do not be daunted by the immensity of the task, nor wait for the perfect moment. Simply begin. For in that act lies half the work, and in the repetition of beginnings lies the certainty of completion. The ancients knew this truth, and Aurelius carved it into the heart of his Meditations—that victory belongs not to those who dream endlessly, but to those who dare to start.
TPTo Thanh Phong
What I find most striking about this quote is the notion of ‘beginning again’ as part of the process. It’s not about getting everything done at once, but about breaking things down into manageable steps. How do we build the habit of starting, even when it seems like there’s too much to do? Marcus Aurelius seems to be saying that persistence, through repeated beginnings, is key to getting things done. Can we apply this to areas outside of work, like personal growth or relationships?
7NVien 7/4 Nguyen
This quote reminds me that often, the hardest part is simply starting. Once you take the first step, things tend to move along more easily. But I wonder, how do you overcome the mental block that stops you from beginning? Is it fear of failure, or the idea that the task will be too much? Marcus Aurelius seems to suggest that even if progress feels slow, it’s still progress. How do we remind ourselves of that when we're in the thick of it?
VANguyen Viet Anh
Marcus Aurelius’s words really speak to the power of persistence. It’s not just about starting, but about beginning again when things get tough. I wonder how many of us give up too soon, thinking we’re not making progress when, in fact, we just need to keep trying. The cyclical nature of this process is inspiring—how do we embrace that and keep going even when it feels like we’re not getting anywhere?
Tthang
I love how this quote emphasizes the importance of starting, not just finishing. So many times, we get stuck in the idea that we need to be perfect from the beginning. But by starting, we’ve already accomplished half of the task. The idea of continuously beginning again until you finish seems so freeing—no pressure to get everything right at once. How do we embrace this mindset in our daily lives, especially when facing big projects or challenges?
NLngo thi nhu lai
This quote by Marcus Aurelius really highlights the power of starting. Sometimes, just taking that first step feels like the hardest part of any project. But the idea that ‘half the work is done’ when you begin resonates with me. How often do we hesitate to start something, thinking the process will be too overwhelming? If we just begin, maybe the rest will fall into place more easily.