Thousands of years ago, the Stoics came up with one of the single most important thoughts any person could practice. The ability to differentiate between what we can change and control and what extends past our range of change and control. 

Your flight just got cancelled? No amount of yelling at some airline representative is going to change the power of the weather. 

Just lost an insane amount of money because the stock markets suddenly tumbled intraday? Getting up and smashing your investing apparatus won’t bring back your lost money. 

No amount of just wishing that you’d be taller or shorter will make you taller or shorter! People who have soldiered through the tough times of their childhood cannot change the abuse they experience. They cannot go back in time and undo the choices made by others. 

But, any human being can control the choices they make here and now. 

There’s a story I once heard which I hope will positively impact you in some way, and it went a little something like this: 

There was once this beautiful couple who were so deeply at peace when together. They both enjoyed each moment together, and went on to have two boys. 

But, the father’s life took a drastic turn for the worse when the mom fell ill, and her chances of making a comeback were slim to none. This affected the father’s work-life, resulting in him losing his job. 

Setback after setback, the father started acting all strange, and even began to estrange his own two boys. He was shocked and hurt to the core. And, he felt that the only way to combat this deep, dark, and brutal abyss in his soul was to turn to alcohol. 

While their mom was stuck fighting for her life, unaware of the changes in the household, the two boys were scarred for the rest of their lives by their dad. 

Fast forward a couple decades, when the two brothers were brought into separate rooms, the first brother was an icon in the business world. He became massively successful, had a beautiful family of his own, and was revered as a compassionate and level-headed man amid the materialism of his ecosystem. 

The other brother, on the other hand, was put on a tragic train of life – he became an addict to various substances and many of the problems his dad experienced. 

They were both asked the same question, albeit individually. “How did you end up the way you are?” And, shockingly, they both had the same response: “Well, because of how my dad was, how could I not be like how I am today?” 

There are so many lessons that can be derived here to better cultivate a life well-lived. The first lesson I feel really applies in the way the gears of modern society currently spin with social media and the abundance of negative distractions: “learn to value self-growth over self imposed addiction.” 

Almost everything in modern Earth exists on a spectrum, and so many people currently alive today have fallen in the vicious trap of social media, of not effectively utilizing tools like YouTube and Reddit, and truly allowing their mind to become the product of various companies and businesses. 

If you truly wish to become an invincible human being, start by keeping constant guard of your perceptions. I rarely use absolutes in life because there often will be something that won’t 100% follow the grain of the majority. 

However, everything—and truly everything—exists in a frame. This incredible topic deserves a post of its own. For now, here’s the gist: whenever you are faced with a decision, some circumstances in life, or anything in-between, remember that your perceptions can, more often than not, change rather quickly. 

Take this example: in the recent past, you were together with the love of your life. You both had a blast dating and enjoying life together. But, suddenly, your relationship took a turn for the worse, resulting in your companion cutting the cord. 

What do you feel here? What would you feel if this was really you? Would you be miserable, distraught, and angered? I’d bet a lot of money most people would feel this.

Let’s add onto the ending now. A few days after you break up with that person, you’re watching the news and you read some breaking news about a young person who had been on a recently unearthed killing spree. This person had created fake relationships with people, gained the person’s trust and love, and eventually killed the person for happiness and pleasure. The news shows the murder’s face and name, and… you are shocked. It was the person you were just with. Now, what do you feel here? 

Let’s be real here, when times in our lives get tough, in any sense—which is an inevitable aspect of life—it is our Mental Citadel (a topic deserving its own post) and strength of who we are that will guide us forward. 

To the Stoics, and really any logically guided human being, we understand that any external factor can shape our bodies—whether we experience a debilitating accident of some sort or are thrown in jail for an unjust time.

But our minds? That’s ours and ours alone, unless we succumb to external forces and hand it over. At all times however, we must protect our mind and our perceptions of our surroundings and the world, in a literal sense and metaphorically.

The legendary philosopher Epictetus once said, “who then is invincible? The one who cannot be upset by anything outside his reasoned choice.” 

You truly want to become an invincible human being, especially right now during our state of quarantine? 

If there’s one thing you may gain today, right now, understand that you have the power within you to escape the “overwhelming-ness” of your work, the frustration brought upon you by life. 

Remember that these feelings aren’t emanating from within you, but from within yourself and your perceptions. 

Virtually nothing can really frustrate you or overwhelm you. Because you will deny them access into your mind and soul.  

I believe in you. No matter whether you are crawling on the path towards positive progress on that path of life or running, you’re taking the right steps. Stay tuned for Transcend Reality’s upcoming post!

And, remember to keep consciously choosing which fire you fuel today.

Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think of this post. Your feedback is so important. And, know this is an open and supporting community which does its best to propel all members forwards, together. Follow your heart, lead with your mind, and cherish with your soul. 🖖