A timely reminder from Marcus Aurelius:

“Everywhere, at each moment, you have the option:

to accept this event with humility

to treat this person as he should be treated

to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in.”

Another translation of that first line reads:

“Always and everywhere, it depends on you piously to be satisfied with the present conjunction of events.”

But what if “the present conjunction of events” sucks?

What is, already is. Resisting reality is futile and frustrating.

What if you simply observed even the most upsetting events and responded with fascination and curiosity?

Accept what has happened, bad and good, as though it is a gift to you to be used to expedite your own growth and propel you further and faster toward perfecting your character.