Verba Diei XI

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." -Epictetus, Discourses

We spend so much of our lives bracing against the world. Complaining about how unfair things are. Obsessing over things that happened to us. But Epictetus reminds us - none of that is the point.

What happened is already gone. What remains is your response.

Your phone breaks. Someone talks behind your back. A test doesn’t go well. That’s reality. You can’t undo it. What you can control is what comes next. Will you spiral into anger? Will you sulk? Or will you step forward with composure and clarity?

Power does not come from having perfect conditions. It comes from how you meet imperfection.

Train this like a muscle. Notice the instinct to blame. Replace it with reflection. Ask, "What can I do?" - not "Why me?"

You cannot control the storm, but you can anchor yourself within it.