Epictetus (AD 55–135) was a Greek sage and philosopher. He was born a slave in present day Turkey, and lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece for the rest of his life. Philosophy, Epictetus taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control; we should accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering occurs from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. As part of the universal city that is the universe, it is our duty to care for all our fellow men. Those who follow these precepts will achieve happiness and peace of mind. (Source: Wiki)
Live & Learn 
Interesting! So the reality is not real huh. Makes me think.
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Hmmmmmmm, then mission accomplished.
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this wisdom came at a perfect time–I am trying to control the uncontrollable; now I must concentrate on what I can do and make a difference
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Good! I’m in awe at how so much has changed over time yet so much about us has not – – Epictetus (AD 55–135), said this hundreds and hundreds of years ago.
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what was true then is even truer today
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Perfect pairing with today’s other post. This one I had to read three times…..
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Reblogged this on Wholeheartedness and commented:
It’s amazing to me that Epictetus had this nailed in 100 CE and yet we each need to discover this in our own lives…
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I thought the exact same thing. The more things change, the more they….
Thanks for sharing.
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Play fair and no blame, a rule that I posted:
http://theseeker57.wordpress.com/eoe/
Just a simple way of thinking.
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Play fair. Love the post Perpetua. Thanks for sharing.
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I like the theme of this blog and your Mantra blog. Both are similar to the Serenity prayer which reminds us that only with wisdom can we focus on the “what”.
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You are right Peggy (on the close connection to the Serenity prayer)….nice catch.
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Blame is such a childish and waste of time.
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Oops! Please take out the “and” in my comment.
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🙂 Yet, so many of do it. Over and over.
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Blame is a great way to avoid accepting a reality one doesn’t like. And the longer it takes to accept it, the longer it takes to resolve it..
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Own it. (Reality) That’s right Boss.
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That’s almost like a brain twister…hmmm…what do I want to say??? Do I want to show that my education has begun? Or do I want to show that my education is complete? Such difficult choices. 🙂
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Education is never complete. Period. 🙂
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Interesting. I think often we’re harshest on ourselves, looking to blame others to relieve ourselves of pain. Whichever happens first, getting to the third must be so peaceful.
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Oh, there’s no doubt about that Carolann. Step 1 is the bunny hill. Step 2 is Everest.
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