No Blame, Just Focus

No Blame, Just Focus

Meditation for August 4, 2021

August 4, 2021 7:00 AM

“You must stop blaming God, and not blame any person. You must completely control your desire and shift your avoidance to what lies within your reasoned choice. You must no longer feel anger, resentment, envy, or regret.”

- Epictetus, Discourses, 3.22.13

When plans go awry, it is easy to throw our hands up, grieve, and never continue our day.

Our emotional response may provide brief relief, but it does not move us further towards our plans.

Conclusion

The faster we can push past our emotional response, the quicker we can implement a new course. The pragmatic approach ignores the emotion and chooses to focus on the task.