Quote of the Week...from Marcus Aurelius

You have power over your mind...not outside events.  Realize this and you will have strength. 

                                                                      ---Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor from 161 to 180.  He adhered to the Stoic branch of philosophy that emphasized personal accountability and freedom in getting through life.  His reign was marked by an unusual peace in the empire, although he has also been accused of persecutions against the growing Christian religion there.  Today I'm just focusing on his above quote...probably looked really cool in the original Latin...and juxtaposing it against my article from yesterday deploring the times we're currently living through.  In spite of all the lunacy, selfishness, bigotry and violence around me, I can still make my own personal choices...a notion that Nazi concentration camp survivor Viktor Frank promoted in his book Man's Search for Meaning.  One of these choices is to feel and express gratitude for all the wonderful blessings I see for myself and my loved ones.  And that includes the remarkable vaccines we now have, not just for Covid, but for so many other ailments that have plagued humanity over its history.  Although it was threatened in January 2021, we still have a nation of law that has continued our sometimes-bumpy road here in America with our ongoing experiment of freedom and representative democracy.  With bigotry, I can be accepting of those who are different from me whether or not others follow suit.  As for gun violence, I'm not sure what attitude to take other than personally trying to avoid inadvertently setting off unstable people.  And I can place confidence in my own country's leaders enough to allow them the responsibility for working to bring about an end to this fighting in eastern Europe and pave the way for a more peaceful future.  I can't control any of these situations since I, as one individual, cannot change the news I hear, but at least I can be a part of the solution and live my own life with a sense of dignity and appreciation.  Still, it doesn't mean that I won't comment on the negative trends I see going on around us in the world and our country.  My power over outside events is limited, as the old Roman despot said.  But I can still be at peace with myself...