EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §24. ¶1.
Tuesday
January 29
DIFFICULTIES
are the things that show what
men are. For the future, on any difficulty,
remember that God, like a master of exercise, has
engaged you with a rough antagonist.
For what end?
That you may be a conqueror like one in the
Olympic games, and it cannot be without toil.
No man, in my opinion, has a more advantageous
difficulty on his hands than you have; provided
you will but use it as an athletic champion doth
his antagonist.
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If only we could always remember this perspective when we are going through difficulties. Unfortunately, we often forget and see our difficulties as obstacles rather than motivators. I hope to remember this for the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reflection..all trials I face today are training, fire forges steal.. as long as I 1.stop it 2.strip it and 3.take a cosmic view of it.. I must give myself time to pause, the more I practice this, the more I improve, until over time if I'm diligent! It becomes second nature..thanks again! Love stoicism
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