Control

“People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them.” Epictetus

Epictetus, a first century Roman slave, and philosopher practiced a school of thought called Stoicism. One of the tenants of Stoicism has to do with control.

In other words, what do you have control over and what do you not? 

Sadly, many of us, myself included, spend way too much time concerned about what we can’t control. Epictetus believed that we could control our own attitudes though, regardless of the circumstances. 

It’s not always easy, but although you can’t control other people’s views you  do have the ability to control how you respond to them. 

Similarly, thoughts may pop into your brain that you may not like, but again you do have control over what you do with those thoughts. 

Learning to respond to emotions that may overtake you in the moment, can result in a much happier life. Stop focusing on the uncontrollable aspects of life, and put your efforts into what you do have control over. 

Is this always easy? Certainly not, but the discipline of choosing and controlling how you view life is definitely something to work toward.