The Only Thing That No One Can Ever Take From You
Welcome back to Mid-Week Meditations , Lifehacker’s weekly dip in the pool of stoic wisdom and a guide to using its waters to meditate and improve your life.
The choice of this week was made by Epictetus in his Conversations . In the second, chapter 10 , he tells us that we have no greater strength than our invincible will:
“Think who you are. First, you are a man; and this is the one who has nothing above the faculty of will, but everything else is subordinate to it; and the very ability that he possesses is not enslaved and free from submission. Think then, from what you were separated by reason. You were separated from the wild beasts: you were separated from the domesticated animals. “
What does it mean
Stop and think about who you are and what you really are. You are human and your greatest strength is your will or your ability to reason and make your own choices. This is what governs all other aspects of your life. This power is the only thing that no one can control or take away from you, and it is what separates you from other animals in this world. Do not forget that you have this power, and do not waste it.
What to take from there
For most of us, life is nothing more than a long list of choices: you choose what you do, where you go, what you eat and drink, how you do things, etc. But more importantly , you can decide what experience means to you. and you can choose how you react to them. No one can take it from you, not even the gods themselves, says Epictetus earlier in the first book:
I have to die. Should I then die mourning? I must be chained. Should I then also lament? I must go into exile. Does anyone prevent me from going with a smile, gaiety and satisfaction? “Tell me the secret you own.” I will not, because it is within my power. “But I will order you in chains.” What are you talking about? Am I in chains? You can shackle my leg, but even Zeus himself cannot overcome my will.
Your will, your ability to choose steadfastness and liveliness over lamentation and sorrow, is your greatest strength. You may not always be able to choose what happens to you, but you always have the opportunity to choose how you react to it. No animal, human or god can stop you.
Here you can read all the Conversations of Epictetus for free.