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No matter what happens, it is within my power to turn it to my advantage.

Epictetus

It is our attitude toward events, not events themselves, which we can control. Nothing is by its own nature calamitous, even death is terrible only if we fear it.
EPICTETUS

Attitude Control Death Fear Nature Terrible
It is better to die of hunger having lived without grief and fear, than to live with a troubled spirit, amid abundance.
EPICTETUS

Abundance Die Fear Hunger Live Trouble
We can’t control the impressions others form about us, and the effort to do so only debases our character.
EPICTETUS

Character Control Effort Impression
Events do not just happen, but arrive by appointment.
EPICTETUS

Appointment Arrive Business Event Happen
First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.
EPICTETUS

Goodness Learning Manner Speak
Try not to react merely in the moment. Pull back from the situation. Take a wider view. Compose yourself.
EPICTETUS

Moments Patience Reaction Situation Try Yourself
It is more necessary for the soul to be cured than the body; for it is better to die than to live badly.
EPICTETUS

Body Cure Die Live Necessary Soul
It takes more than just a good looking body. You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it.
EPICTETUS

Body Goodness Heart Inspirational Look Soul
The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.
EPICTETUS

Control Expectation Inspirational Life Value
Keep silence for the most part, and speak only when you must, and then briefly.
EPICTETUS

Important Philosophy Silence Speak Wisdom
You become what you give your attention to. If you yourself don’t choose what thoughts and images you expose yourself to, someone else will, and their motives may not be the highest.
EPICTETUS

Attention Choose Expose Giving Self Love Yourself
The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.
EPICTETUS

Difficult Motivational Pilot Reputation Skill Storm
Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.
EPICTETUS

Anxiety Imagination Man Problem Worry
Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness.
EPICTETUS

Average Blame Character Foolish People Wise
Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.
EPICTETUS

Attention Belong Business Concern Focus True
You have been given your own work to do. Get to it right now, do your best at it, and don’t be concerned with who is watching you. Create your own merit.
EPICTETUS

Concern Creation Giving Motivational Watch Work
Do not try to seem wise to others.
EPICTETUS

Inspirational Life One Liner Try Wise
I laugh at those who think they can damage me. They do not know who I am, they do not know what I think, they cannot even touch the things which are really mine and with which I live.
EPICTETUS

Attitude Damage Laugh Live Thinking
Give me by all means the shorter and nobler life, instead of one that is longer but of less account!
EPICTETUS

Account Giving Inspirational Life Positive
It’s time to stop being vague. If you wish to be an extraordinary person, if you wish to be wise, then you should explicitly identify the kind of person you aspire to become.
EPICTETUS

Aspire Extraordinary Inspirational Time Vague Wise
Demand not that things happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do, and you will go on well.
EPICTETUS

Demand Happen Inspirational Satisfaction
Imagine for yourself a character, a model personality, whose example you determine to follow, in private as well as in public.
EPICTETUS

Character Determination Imagination Personality Role Model Yourself
When you are offended at any man’s fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.
EPICTETUS

Angry Fault Forget Man Offend Study Yourself
Know you not that a good man does nothing for appearance sake, but for the sake of having done right?
EPICTETUS

Appearance Done Goodness Inspirational Man Sake
Wisdom means understanding without any doubt that circumstances do not rise to meet our expectations. Events happen as they may. People behave as they will.
EPICTETUS

Behaviour Circumstance Expectation People Understand Wisdom
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will.
EPICTETUS

Beyong Cease Happiness Let Go Power Worry
Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.
EPICTETUS

Explanation Express Philosophy

No matter what happens, it is within my power to turn it to my advantage.

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No matter what happens, it is within my power to turn it to my advantage.

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