The One Question That Changes Everything

I’ve been studying Stoic philosophy for years. This isn’t new to me. But that’s the thing about these readings—they always land as exactly the reminder I need, right when I need it.

Look at those highlighted lines.

“The only thing you truly possess is your ability to make choices.”

“This is the only thing that can never be taken from you completely.”

How much time do we waste on things completely outside our control?

The economy. What someone thinks of us. Whether that deal closes. Whether AI disrupts our industry. Whether that person responds to our email.

We ruminate. We strategize. We stress. We lose sleep.

And none of it moves the needle—because we never had the lever to pull in the first place.

The practice I keep coming back to:

A simple pause. Before I spend time or energy on something, one question:

Is this within my control, or outside it?

If it’s outside—I let it go. If it’s inside—I act.