“Some things are in our control, while others are not. We control our opinion, choice, desire, aversion, and, in a word, everything of our own doing. We don't control our body, property, reputation, position, and, in a word, everything not of our own doing. Even more, the things in our control are by nature free, unhindered, and unobstructed, while those not in our control are weak, slavish, can be hindered, and are not our own.”
- Epictetus, Enchiridion 1.1-2
January 9, 2021 8:27 AM
It can be difficult to accept the result of events outside our control. Our lives are often dependent upon decisions made by other people. In some instances are lives are simply dependent on luck or karma (good and bad).
Do you believe you can influence other people? Can you make your own luck? While I believe we can move the needle in the direction we want, we can't control with certainty everything not of our own doing.
Conclusion
We have control of everything of our own doing. While we are unable to control the actions of others, we can control our opinion about those actions. By identifying what is within our control, we can begin to provide clarity to actions and events around us. By using our minds, we can see a setback or breakthrough for what it is, a small blip in our timeline.