T

August  17th

THE BUCK    STOPS   HERE

“For    nothing outside my  reasoned    choice  can hinder  or  harm    it—my   reasoned    choice  alone   can

do  this    to  itself. If  we  would   lean    this    way whenever    we  fail,   and would   blame   only    ourselves

and remember    that    nothing but opinion is  the cause   of  a   troubled    mind    and uneasiness, then    by

God,    I   swear   we  would   be  making  progress.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 3.19.2–3

oday, see if you can go without blaming a single person or single thing. Someone messes up your
instructions—it’s on you for expecting anything different. Someone says something rude—it’s your
sensitivity that interpreted their remark this way. Your stock portfolio takes a big loss—what did you
expect making such a big bet? Why are you checking the market day to day anyway?
Whatever it is, however bad it may be, see whether you can make it a whole day laying it all on your
reasoned choice. If you can’t make it for a day, see if you can make it for an hour. If not for an hour, then
for ten minutes.
Start where you need to. Even one minute without playing the blame game is progress in the art of
living.