“For what is reasonable then and in our power is this, to not allow our judgement to be the only thing which resists the universe: for it is strong and superior.” – Epictetus

Some days it seems as though the universe might just have it in for us. It doesn’t of course,  but it often feels as if the entire world is conspiring against us. The world or universe or whatever we want to look at doesn’t care about us at all. In fact, the majority of people on Earth are completely unaware of our existence. Our sphere of impact is remarkable small relative to the size and scope of the world we live in. The aspects of our own sphere that we control is even smaller.

As we read the paragraph above, most of us will recognize the truth in those words and few if any of us would argue that our impact or control are bigger than they actually are. It’s easy to have this perspective as we are reading a short daily meditation that has little if any bearing on our lives. When we are in the middle of an issue and are drawn into the weeds, it is a lot harder to take this perspective.

Our thought exercise today should be this: let’s ask ourselves three questions with each issue we might face today. Is the issue itself within our control? Can we have any affect on the outcome? If we maintain a positive attitude will we make this better for everyone involved?

As you might imagine, one of these three questions carries far more yes answers than the others.

virtus fortis vocat