Marcus Aurelius started his mornings expecting to meet difficult people, not with bitterness, but with realism. People will be rude, careless, and self-interested sometimes; that's human, and it isn't yours to fix. What is yours is how you respond, whether you let their behavior pull you down to it. Trying to control how others act is a losing battle that only leaves you frustrated. Letting them be, while keeping your own conduct steady, is freedom. You can set boundaries without needing to win the argument or change their character. They are responsible for theirs; you are responsible for yours. Most of your peace lives on your side of that line. Stay there.

Inspired by the old idea of dichotomy of control. Written by Ugo Charles.