There’s a passage in The Enchiridion by Epictetus that says:

“Don’t wish for things to happen the way you would like them to. Instead, welcome whatever happens.”

The passage is from a manual of advice compiled by Arrian in the 2nd century. It can be taken the wrong way. The idea isn’t that you shouldn’t want things to go your way, accomplish your goals, or have a good life. It’s about accepting that things don’t always go the way you want them to.

There are things in my life that aren’t going the way I would like, despite taking all the actions I need to. There are so many things outside of our control.

If we’re doing the things we need to do but it’s still not working, it’s easy to focus on that part. The problem is that it can take up a lot of energy that could be put into making the moves we need to make.

If you believe you’re pursuing the right path while accepting that there will be struggles along the way, that’s how you push through the hard times.

Epictetus was born into slavery and lived with a physical disability. That doesn’t mean accepting hardship is easy, but it does make his perspective worth thinking about.

Don’t focus on the things you can’t control. Focus on your own actions.

Keep pushing and keep adapting. We have limited energy; wasting it on things outside our control will only slow us down.

— Bus