Seneca had money and didn't pretend otherwise, but he insisted that riches should serve you, not own you. The trouble starts when our sense of worth rides entirely on what we have, so that any loss feels like a loss of self. He practiced imagining life with less, to find out how much fear was attached to his possessions—and to loosen its grip. You can do the same gently. Money matters; bills are real. But your character, your steadiness, your way of treating people—these belong to you whether the account is full or thin. Tend the wealth that no downturn can take, and the money worries shrink a little.

Inspired by the old idea of virtue as the only good. Written by Ugo Charles.