Showing posts with label Stoic philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stoic philosophy. Show all posts

Saturday, January 1, 2022

Epictetus and the Serenity Prayer


 The Serenity Prayer is famous and often shared in Alcoholics Anonymous and addiction treatment programs. It seems fundamental to a positive path of recovery. The Serenity Prayer has been attributed to many sources. I was surprised to read this entry for January 1 in the Daily Stoic day by day calendar from Epictetus

The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals but within myself to the choices that are my own..." Discourses, 2.5.4-6