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July 4th

PROTECT THE FLAME

“Protect your own good in all that you do, and as concerns

everything else take what is given as far as you can make reasoned

use of it. If you don’t, you’ll be unlucky, prone to failure, hindered

and stymied.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.11

he goodness inside you is like a small flame, and you are its keeper. It’s
your job, today and every day, to make sure that it has enough fuel, that
it doesn’t get obstructed or snuffed out.
Every person has their own version of the flame and is responsible for it,
just as you are. If they all fail, the world will be much darker—that is
something you don’t control. But so long as your flame flickers, there will
be some light in the world.