Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Morning meditation
From The Art of Living by Epictetus
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Wow. I'm thinking on the same subject today. Jen calls me from Bukidnon (I'm in Manila) and tells me Mikee absolutely refuses to wear his uniform to school ... and I"m thinking "Well tell him he absolutely has to wear it" which of course is exactly the Evelyn Nichols approach (Hi Mom!) and then thinking why do we provide the subtle lesson to little kids that that they have no control and then when they grow up they have to spend the rest of their lives learning that they really do have lots of control. And then, of course, I'm also thinking of the Sienfeld episode where George Costanza decides that every decision that he has ever made has been wrong and resolves to do the complete opposite of what he would normally do ... so do you Mikee control over what he wears to school - at age 3.9? I dunno. But I think Epctetus probably had it right - some things are in our control and some things aren't ... of course that still doesn't answer the parenting question.
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