Change What You Can Change;
Let Go of the Rest
Time is short. This is another of those facts you can’t escape;
it’s a given. If time is short, then it makes sense not to go wast-
ing any of it, not a single lovely drop of it. It’s my observation
that the successful people in this life are the ones who wring
every last ounce of satisfaction and energy out of life. They do
that by practising this simple Rule. They pay attention to
what, in their life, they have some control over and they
simply, economically (time-wise), let go of the rest.
If someone asks you directly for help, then that’s something
you can do—or not as you choose. If the whole world asks
you for help, then there is very little you can do. Beating your-
self up over it is counterproductive and such a waste of time.
Now, I’m not saying to stop caring about things or to walk
away from those in need. In fact, quite the opposite in many
ways, but there are areas in which you can make a personal
difference and other areas where you’ll never even make a
dent.
If you waste time struggling to change stuff that is obviously
never going to be changed, then life will whiz past and you’ll
miss it. If, on the other hand, you dedicate yourself personally
to things you can change, areas where you can make a differ-
ence, then life becomes richer and more fulfilled. And the
more rich it is, curiously, the more time you seem to have.
Obviously, if lots of us get together, we can change pretty well
anything, but this is a Rule for You—these are your personal
set—and thus this is about what you can change.
If you have the ear of a president, you might be able to shape
policy that affects the entire nation. If you have the ear of the