One of the happiest people back in the "not always so good old days" Roman Empire was a Greek slave with a permanent physical disability. His name was Epictetus and you can still read his "manual" called Enchiridion if you like. It costs 60 cents on Amazon.
Epictetus
What was his secret? He knew what was worth focusing on and what was not. And he didn't waste much time focusing on what he could not control.
He was a bright dude. He knew control freaks aren't happy. He knew worriers were not happy. He knew that just about everything in life is out of our control. Humbling to think, but other than what we think and judge, the world really just keeps spinning without us. We do not control our health, bank account, job, family, friends, car, house, cat, or water pipe in the basement. We only control what we think about the situation.
“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.”
Epictetus
What was his secret? He knew what was worth focusing on and what was not. And he didn't waste much time focusing on what he could not control.
He was a bright dude. He knew control freaks aren't happy. He knew worriers were not happy. He knew that just about everything in life is out of our control. Humbling to think, but other than what we think and judge, the world really just keeps spinning without us. We do not control our health, bank account, job, family, friends, car, house, cat, or water pipe in the basement. We only control what we think about the situation.
“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.”
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