Epictetus

Since then this I could not do, I have given thee a portion of Myself, in the power of desiring and declining and of pursuing and avoiding

the body which we share with the animals, and the Reason and Thought which we share with the Gods,

Yet what faculties and powers you possess for attaining courage and greatness of heart, I can easily show you; what you have for upbraiding and accusation, it is for you to show me

If you choose, you are free; if you choose, you need blame no man—accuse no man. All things will be at once according to your mind and according to the Mind of God

your aims are inconsistent,

your aims are inconsistent, your impulses are not in harmony with Nature

O! when shall I see Athens and its Acropolis again?"—Miserable man! art thou not contented with the daily sights that meet thine eyes? canst thou behold aught greater or nobler than the Sun, Moon, and Stars; than the outspread Earth and Sea? If indeed thous apprehendest Him who administers the universe, if thou bearest Him about within thee, canst thou still hanker after mere fragments of stone and fine rock? When thou art about to bid farewell to the Sun and Moon itself, wilt thou sit down and cry like a child?

With ev­ery ac­ci­dent, ask your­self what abil­i­ties you have for mak­ing a proper use of it. If you see an at­trac­tive per­son, you will find that self-re­straint is the abil­ity you have against your de­sire. If you are in pain, you will find for­ti­tude. If you hear un­pleas­ant lan­guage, you will find pa­tience.

With re­gard to what­ever ob­jects give you de­light, are use­ful, or are deeply loved, re­mem­ber to tell your­self of what gen­eral na­ture they are, be­gin­ning from the most in­signif­i­cant things.

Don’t de­mand that things hap­pen as you wish, but wish that they hap­pen as they do hap­pen, and you will go on well.