002 The Dichotomy of Control

Stop!

Breathe!

Hear these words, as if spoken to your soul and not just to your ears.

I am Epictetus, son of reason and servant of inner freedom. Many think I have been left in the dust of history. But no! True philosophy never dies. It waits, silently, for the heart that longs to blossom.

Today, I come to speak about the most liberating truth I have ever known: the distinction between what depends on us and what does not.

In a world where every gesture is commented on, every choice is compared, every life is exposed, you have forgotten that there are things that belong to you and others that never belonged to you.

Your body does not depend entirely on you. Health can improve with care, but it is vulnerable. Your reputation is in the hands of others. Time passes without your consent.

There is something no one can take from you: your ability to judge, to choose, to interpret wisely.

That is yours. Yours alone. When we understand this dichotomy, we stop fighting the wind and start building sails. We stop blaming, fearing, and fussing in vain.

I see many people living in the hope of approval, as if that determined their worth.

The content you publish, the intention with which you speak, the virtue with which you express yourself, depends on you. But how many like, share, or comment doesn't depend on you. Your freedom lies in publishing what is fair, not in relying on the reaction. If guided by applause, you will be a slave to those who don't even know you.

When the soul is anchored in what is yours, not even the greatest storms can drag it away.

There are those who live anxiously at work, afraid of being dismissed, of not being enough. Commitment, study, ethics, and discipline depend on you. But they don't depend on the company's decisions, the market, or the whims of others.

Do your best and deliver the rest with serenity.

What is beyond your control doesn't deserve despair. No storm destabilizes those who put down roots only where they have control.

Someone leaves. Someone criticizes you or doesn't respond. It's up to you to love fairly, speak sincerely, respect firmly. It's not up to the other person to live, to change their behavior, to see what you see.