“We cry to God Almighty, how can we escape this agony? Fool, don’t you have hands? Or could it be God forgot to give you a pair? Sit and pray your nose doesn’t run! Or, rather just wipe your nose and stop seeking a scapegoat.”
EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.16.13
Life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes shit happens, and you just have to laugh. Actually, you don’t have to laugh. Moaning and griping is the other option.
Many people don’t know how to make lemonade, when life gives them lemons. Instead, they whinge and whine about how unfair everything is. They make excuses. They feel the universe “owes them one” — so they want everyone else to make things right. This of course accomplishes nothing, because complaining is draining; it doesn’t bring about any lasting results or change.
The better option, naturally, is to wipe your own damn nose instead of expecting God or the universe to do it for you. When the wise person gets knocked down, they stand back up, dust themselves off, and see what is within their control to improve their situation. They don’t wait around for other people to solve their problems for them.
In The Daily Stoic today, the author shares a quote from Marcus Aurelius: “get active in your own rescue.” That means you need to take agency for your own situation, determine what is needed, and then go do it. Take action to sort out what you need — because no one else is going to do it for you.
You were built for this, so stand up and get to it.
