T

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.