How to be a happy expat: Emperor Aurelius' secret revealed
<p><span word="Premier">Premier</span> <span word="Wen">Wen</span> <span word="Jiabao">Jiabao</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="hooked">hooked</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> 2,000-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Roman">Roman</span> <span word="Emperor">Emperor</span> <span word="Marcus">Marcus</span> <span word="Aurelius">Aurelius</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="believed">believed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="key">key</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="happy">happy</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="think">think</span>. <span word="Wen">Wen</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="passion">passion</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Aurelius">Aurelius</span>' <span word="teachings">teachings</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="triggered">triggered</span> <span word="Marcus">Marcus</span> <span word="mania">mania</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Roman">Roman</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="writings">writings</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="why">why</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="pearls">pearls</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wisdom">wisdom</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="steer">steer</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="positive">positive</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mind">mind</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expat">expat</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="regularly">regularly</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="check">check</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="neck">neck</span> <span word="up">up</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="baffled">baffled</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="differences">differences</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="rattled">rattled</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="comparisons">comparisons</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expat">expat</span> <span word="community">community</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="Marcus">Marcus</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expat">expat</span> <span word="himself">himself</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="Rome">Rome</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="conquered">conquered</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="foes">foes</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="straight">straight</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="friends">friends</span>, <span word="expats">expats</span>, <span word="countrymen">countrymen</span> (<span word="wherever">wherever</span> <span word="you">you</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="from">from</span>), <span word="lend">lend</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="ears">ears</span>.</p><p><span word="Marcus">Marcus</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="emperor">emperor</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="AD">AD</span> 161 <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> 20-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="reign">reign</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span> <span word="stoic">stoic</span> <span word="philosophy">philosophy</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="stoics">stoics</span> <span word="considered">considered</span> <span word="negative">negative</span> <span word="emotions">emotions</span>, <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="pride">pride</span>, <span word="anger">anger</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="envy">envy</span>, <span word="were">were</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="errors">errors</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="judgment">judgment</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="stoic">stoic</span>" <span word="person">person</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="complain">complain</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="life">life</span>, <span word="because">because</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="better">better</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nutshell">nutshell</span>, <span word="Aurelius">Aurelius</span> <span word="believed">believed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="folks">folks</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="happy">happy</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="minds">minds</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="happiness">happiness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="depends">depends</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="quality">quality</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="thoughts">thoughts</span>: <span word="therefore">therefore</span>, <span word="guard">guard</span> <span word="accordingly">accordingly</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="entertain">entertain</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="notions">notions</span> <span word="unsuitable">unsuitable</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="virtue">virtue</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reasonable">reasonable</span> <span word="nature">nature</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="accept">accept</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="situations">situations</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="why">why</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>?" <span word="question">question</span> <span word="starts">starts</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="circle">circle</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="gloomy">gloomy</span> <span word="mind">mind</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="allow">allow</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="negative">negative</span> <span word="thoughts">thoughts</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="gain">gain</span> <span word="momentum">momentum</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="what">what</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Marcus">Marcus</span>' <span word="solution">solution</span>?</p>
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