Where to look when… you are not in control
Daily touch of inspirations
January 8th: Seeing our Addictions
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom Perseverance and Art of Living
We must give up many things to which we are addicted, considering them to be good. Otherwise, courage will vanish, which should continually test itself. Greatness of soul will be lost, which can't stand out unless it disdains as petty what the mob regards as most desirable. — Seneca, Moral Letters, 74:12b-13
These things don't go together. You must be unified human being, either good or bad. You must diligently work either on your own reasoning or on things out of your control- take great care with the inside and not what's outside, which is to say, stand with the philosopher, or else with the mob!
—Epictetus, Discourses, 3.15.13
www.myINSPIRATIONALquotes.net
Daily Touch of Inspirations
November 5th: A higher power
Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
This is the very thing which makes up the virtue of the happy person and a well-flowing life — when the affairs of life are in every way turned to the harmony between the individual divine spirit and the will of the director of the universe. — Chrysippus, Quoted in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, 7.1.88
Daily Touch of Inspirations
May 24th: Making your own good fortune
Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
You say, good fortune used to meet you at every corner. But the fortunate person is the one who gives themselves a good fortune. And good fortunes are a well-tuned soul, good impulses and good actions. ~Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.36
We control our reasoned choice and all acts that depend on that moral will. What's not under our control are the body and any of its parts, our possessions, parents, siblings, children, or country - anything with which we might associate.
— Epictetus, Discourses, 1.22.10 —
www.myINSPIRATIONALquotes.net
Daily Touch of Inspirations
March 29th: Why do you need to impress these people again?
Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
If you should ever turn your will to things outside your control in order to impress someone, be sure that you have wrecked your whole purpose in life. Be content, then, to be a philosopher in all that you do, and if you wish also to be seen as one, show yourself first that you are and you will succeed. —Epictetus, Enchiridion, 23
Some things are in our 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—
www.myINSPIRATIONALquotes.net