I’m in the middle of something heartbreaking and hard. I’m also in the middle of the January readings for The Daily Stoic. This is my third time through this book. This time, I’m putting the Stoics to practice.
The Daily Stoic is divided into three topics, four months for each: Perception, Action, Will. January is specifically Clarity. And boy howdy, do I need some clarity. Clarity to know when to intervene and when to step back. Clarity to understand when a situation is best served by compassion versus righteous anger. Clarity to navigate when to call in the troops and when to respect privacy.
I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m in the middle of it. I’ve thrown myself into cooking and cleaning to keep my hands from shaking while being supportive. I’m holding my tongue and listening, be still Pennie, listen, deeper, just listen. I’m measuring my thoughts, my reactions, and my words, because all of those spring from the one and only thing I can control: my mind.
This is today’s reading.
We control our reasoned choice and all acts that depend on that mental will. What’s not under our control are the body and any of its parts, our possessions, parents, siblings, children, or country—anything with which we associate.
—Epictetus, Discourses, 1.22.10
My mind is the only thing I can control. Clarity around this concept is everything in moments of crisis and chaos. It’s both liberating and centering.
I’m applying today’s reading and the twelve previous January Stoic readings in real ways this month. I’m grateful for the freedom to release the need to control the things and people I cannot. It helps me make space for the compassion and kindness that I can bring.
©Pennie Nichols. All Rights Reserved. 2025
❤ I hear you and I’m with you.