Where to look when… you are not in control

Daily Touch of Inspirations

June 8th: Brick by boring brick

Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

You must build up your life action by action, and be content if each one achieves its goal as as far as possible —and no one can keep you from this. But there will be some external obstacle! Perhaps, but no obstacle is acting with justice, self control, and wisdom. But what if some other area of my action is thwarted? Well, gladly accept the obstacle for what it is and shift your attention to what is given, and another action will immediately take its place, one that better fits the life you are building. —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.32

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Daily Touch of Inspirations

November 7th: How to be powerful

Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Don't trust in your reputation, money, or position, but in the strength that is yours — namely, your judgments about the things that you control. For this alone is what makes us free and unfettered, that picks us up by the neck from the depths and lifts us eye to eye with the rich and powerful. — Epictetus, Discourses, 3.26.34-35

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Daily Touch of Inspirations

September 28th: You hold the trump card

Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

How appropriate that the gods put under our control only the most powerful ability that govern all the rest — the ability to make the right use of external appearances — and that they didn't put anything else under our control. Was this simply because they weren't willing to give us more? I think if it had been possible they would have given us more, but it was impossible. — Epictetus, Discourses 1.1.7-8

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Daily Touch of Inspirations

September 5th: Focus on what is yours alone

Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Remember, then, if you deem what is by nature slavish to be free, and what is not your own to be yours, you will be shackled and miserable, blaming both gods and other people. But if you deem as your own only what is yours, and what belongs to others as truly not yours, then no one will ever be able to coerce or to stop you, you will find no one to blame or accuse, you will do nothing against your will, you will have no enemy, no one will harm you, because no harm can affect you. — Epictetus, Enchiridion, 13

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Daily Touch of Inspirations

May 6th: Righteousness is beautiful

Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Then what makes a beautiful human being? Isn't it the presence of human excellence? Young friend, if you wish to be beautiful, then work diligently at human excellence. And what is that? Observe those whom you praise without prejudice. The just or the unjust? The just. The even- tempered or the undisciplined? The even- tempered. The self-controlled or the uncontrolled? The self- controlled. In making yourself that kind of person, you will become beautiful- but to the extent you ignore these qualities, you'll be ugly, even if you use every trick in the book to appear beautiful. ~Epictetus, Discourses, 3.1.6b-9

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