Epictetus said don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do, and you'll go through life at peace. That's a tall order, so take it as a direction, not a finish line. Plans break, days surprise us, and the fighting we do against the unexpected usually costs more than the surprise itself. Being open doesn't mean you wanted the disruption or that you stop steering. It means meeting the actual day instead of grieving the imagined one. Some of the best parts of a life are the unplanned ones. Loosening your grip on how today should go leaves room for how it actually will.

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