Cut out the unnecessary, simplification leads to tranquility

 It is said that if you would have peace of mind, busy yourself with little. But wouldn't a better saying be do what you must and as required of a rational being created for public life? For this brings not only the peace of mind of doing few things, but the greatest peace of doing them well. Since the vast majority of our words and actions are unnecessary, corralling them will create an abundance of leisure and tranquility. As a result, we shouldn't forget at each moment to ask, is this one of the unnecessary things? But we must corral not only unnecessary actions but unnecessary thoughts too, so needless acts don't tag along after them.

-- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.24

"What vanity obligates us to do, what greed signs us up for, what ill discipline adds to our plate, what a lack of courage prevents us from saying no to - all of these we must cut, cut, cut"

* Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman     

Only fools rush in

 A good person is invincible, for they don't rush into contests in which they aren't the strongest. If you want their property, take it -- take also their staff, profession, and body. But you will never compel what they set out for, nor trap them in what they would avoid. For the only contest the good person enters is that of their own reasoned choice. How can such a person not be invincible?

-- Epictetus, Discourses, 3.6.5-7

"Some people think that 'choosing your battles' is weak or calculating. How could reducing the amount of times we fail or minimizing the number of needless injuries inflicted upon us be weak? How is that a bad thing? As the saying goes, discretion is the better part of valor. The Stoics call it reasoned choice. That means be reasonable! Think hard before choosing, and make yourself unbeatable. 

* Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman    

The buck stops with you, your mind

 For nothing outside my reasoned choice can hinder or harm it -- my reasoned choice calone 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 an uneasiness, then by God, I swear we would be making progress.

-- Epictetus, Discourses, 3.19.2-3

"Start where you need to. Even one minute without playing the blame game is progress in the art of living."

* Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman     

Turn your obstacle into an advantage

 Just as the nature of rational things has given to each person their rational powers, so it also gives us this power -- just as nature turns to its own purpose any obstacle or any opposition, sets its place in the destined order, and co-opts it, so every rational person can convert any obstacle into the raw material for their own purpose.

-- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8.35

What things do you think have been holding you back that, in fact, can be a hidden source of strength?

* Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman