There is a hard, freeing idea in the Stoics they called loving your fate. It does not mean pretending a bad day is good. It means stopping the second fight, the one where you argue with what already happened. The traffic, the cancelled plan, the gray sky: these are here now. You can resent them and still be stuck in them, or you can meet them and choose your next step from steadier ground. Marcus reminded himself that nature gives us what it gives, and our work is to make good use of it. You do not have to love everything. You can simply stop wasting strength wishing this moment were a different one.

Inspired by the old idea of amor fati. Written by Ugo Charles.