I know.
I know. The title of this article is brow-raising and will deter some readers.
But. “Hey,” such is life. Life is not about a walk in the park or only eating peaches.
“You have the power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will have strength.”
Marcus Aurelius’ (121-180 AD) meditation serves as a foundational pillar for both classical Stoicism and modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. At its core, this quote addresses the Locus of Control—the psychological boundary between what an individual can influence and what they must accept.
Now then, “Gird up the loins of your mind”, said Peter (1 Peter 1:13). It’s not easy.
The Shift from “Hand Wringing” to Action
The transition from a state of anxiety (hand wringing) to “resolute action” requires a fundamental reclassification of life’s data points. Aurelius argued that suffering doesn’t stem from events themselves, but from the judgment we place upon them.
External Events (The Indifferents): These include the economy, the weather, other people’s opinions, and past mistakes. Worrying about these is an exercise in futility because they are objectively outside your jurisdiction.
The Internal Mind (The Hegemonikon): This is your “commanding faculty.” Our own perspective, our intentions, and our immediate responses.
By withdrawing emotional investment from the “outside,” we conserve the mental energy required to act within our own sphere of influence.
This isn’t passivity; it is strategic resource allocation.
From the lens of the Serendipitome, there is a certain “common sense” magic to it. When you spend your day fretting over a storm, you’re looking at the clouds and missing the diamond on the sidewalk.
Aurelius suggests that “strength” comes from a clear mind. In the context of the Serendipitome, the mind that isn’t cluttered with “what ifs” and “why me’s”, is more attuned to spotting lucky breaks. You can’t control when a door opens, but you have absolute power over whether you are standing ready to walk through it.
It’s about being “fixed in purpose” so that when the universe tosses a lemon our way, we aren’t just making lemonade—we’re already holding the sugar and the pitcher.
If you have a purpose you will go through any “how”. That was a paraphrase on Nietzsche’s saying. Then came Viktor Frankl – with Man Search For Meaning.
Here is a concise structured summation of this Aurelian idea.
| Aspect | Hand Wringing (Reactive) | Resolute Action (Proactive) |
| Focus | “Why is this happening to me?” | “How do I respond to this?” |
| Energy Drain | High (spent on the unchangeable) | Productive (spent on the changeable) |
| Perspective | Victim of circumstances | Architect of character |
| Outcome | Paralysis and fatigue | Progress and resilience |
The “Strength” of the Internal Fortress
The “strength” Aurelius mention is often called the Inner Citadel. It is the realization that while the world can take your property, your health, or your status, it cannot force you to think a certain way.
When we stop trying to “muscle” the world into a specific shape and instead focus on mastering our own reactions, we become remarkably difficult to rattle.
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Tags: #MarcusAurelius #Meditations #serendipitome #innercitadel #ViktorFrankl # friedrichnietzsche
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