And the way to be free is to let go of anything that is not within your control.

Do not say of anything “I have lost it,” but rather, “I have given it back.” Has your wife died? You have given her back.

a friend tells you that someone has criticized or insulted you, say, “They must not know about my other faults, or they would have pointed out those, too.”

In company, do not prattle on about your own adventures and misadventures. However exciting your exploits are to you, others may not be so interested.

To find your vocation, first consider your talents and inclinations. Do you have the back, shoulders, and thighs of a wrestler? Or the potential and determination to gain them through exercise? Do you live in a way befitting a philosopher? Or are you restless, quick to anger, and a glutton for food and drink? If you truly wish to become a

If you are lazy and careless, piling procrastination on top of procrastination, you will continue to be tossed and tormented by external forces until your death.

Whatever your vocation, pursue it wholeheartedly. Consider, choose, and commit.

Whenever distress or displeasure arises in your mind, remind yourself, “This is only my interpretation, not reality itself.” Then ask whether it falls within or outside your sphere of power. And, if it is beyond your power to control, let it go.

Everything has two handles: one by which it can be carried, and one by which it cannot. If a friend treats you unfairly, do not try to grasp the situation by the handle of retribution—it will burn your hand. Instead, reach for the opposite handle of reconciliation. Remember that you are friends, you’ve known each for other a long time, and the