The other day I was walking with my friend when the conversation turned to all the evils in our world, from rigged elections to unnecessary practice of vaccines, the poisons in our food to illegal immigrants. My head was spinning by the time I returned home. My peaceful walk had been polluted by outside occurrences. A headache ensued further ruining my expectations of a perfect Saturday morning.
I decided to meditate. As I did so, I reflected on the teachings of the Stoic philosophers: What do I have control over? Only my thoughts and feelings. The outside world cannot upset me. It does not have the power to do so. It just is. I smiled, when I began thinking about which parts of my day are within my control and which parts are not. I cannot control what is happening around me; I can only control how I choose to respond to the outside world.
We are bombarded with so many stimuli that it is crucial to stay connected to our inner self, to find balance and peace, and to stay centered.
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