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August  4th

NO  BLAME,  JUST    FOCUS

“You    must    stop    blaming God,    and not blame   any person. You must    completely  control your    desire

and shift   your    avoidance   to  what    lies    within  your    reasoned    choice. You must    no  longer  feel

anger,  resentment, envy,   or  regret.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.22.13

elson Mandela was imprisoned for resistance to the brutal apartheid regime in South Africa for
twenty-seven years. For eighteen of those years, he had a bucket for a toilet, a hard cot in a small
cell, and once a year he was allowed a single visitor—for thirty minutes. It was vicious treatment meant
to isolate and break down the prisoners. And yet, in spite of that, Mandela became a figure of dignity
within the prison.
Though he was deprived of many things, he still found creative ways to assert his will. As one of his
fellow prisoners, Neville Alexander, explained on Frontline, “He [Mandela] always made the point, if
they say you must run, insist on walking. If they say you must walk fast, insist on walking slowly. That was
the whole point. We are going to set the terms.” He pretended to jump rope and shadowboxed to stay in
shape. He held his head higher than other prisoners, encouraged them when times got tough, and always
retained his sense of self-assurance.
That self-assurance is yours to claim as well. No matter what happens today, no matter where you find
yourself, shift to what lies within your reasoned choices. Ignore, as best you can, the emotions that pop up,
which would be so easy to distract yourself with. Don’t get emotional—get focused.