Stoicism
Some things are within our control, others are not. Living wisely begins with telling them apart.
Stoicism is a school of philosophy founded in Athens around 300 BC by Zeno of Citium. Well-known proponents include Epictetus, Seneca, and Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The doctrine emphasizes that most things in life lie outside our control—other people's actions, illness, the weather—while our own judgments and reactions are always our responsibility. By training your focus on what you can actually influence, you become far less dependent on external circumstances for your well-being.
The train is delayed. You can choose to get upset about the delay—or recognize that it is completely outside your control, and shift your attention to what you can do while waiting.
Stoicism has enjoyed a modern renaissance, partly because its principles overlap with cognitive behavioral therapy, which was developed two thousand years later.
Stoicism is not about suppressing emotions or being cold and unfeeling. It is about not being ruled by them.
Write down three things that are bothering you today. Mark which ones you can actually influence.
What matters isn't what happens, but how you choose to respond to it.
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