Epictetus said it isn't things that trouble us, but our opinions about them. Two people meet the same event and feel completely differently, because each carries a different judgment about what it means. The rain ruins one person's day and waters another's garden. This is good news, even if it's hard at first. If your distress comes partly from how you read a thing, then you have some say in it. You can examine the thought. Is the worst story you're telling yourself actually true, or just loud? You won't always be able to swap a bad feeling for a good one. But noticing the judgment underneath it is the first loosening.

Inspired by the old idea of response not reaction. Written by Ugo Charles.