"The Art of Living" by Epictetus

"The Art of Living" by Epictetus has enlightened me on so many things in life.

(There's got to be a reason the word "epic" is in his name.)

     Epictetus's teachings have thouroughly changed my life in a way that's been more powerful than any religious book has ever tried to convince me. When I saw this card on PostSecret Community I instantly thought, "That's taught in "The Art of Living", maybe if this person had read it they wouldn't have had to write "even me"." That is how powerful this book is. You can literally relate it to any possible event or obstacle in life, and by learning "all events are impersonal", they can no longer affect you. I am ridding myself of guilt like I'm detoxing from a drug, and honestly it feels amazing.

     As a warning from experience, if you apply Epictetus's teachings to your life, prepare for the possibility of people to call you cold-hearted. It's absolutely crucial to always remember that they're the one's that are dealing with life the wrong way by overreacting to events they come upon, allowing themselves to experience guilt, by dwelling, etc. However, if you take what Epictetus had to say to heart, you will have no problem with unallowing their name-calling affect you.

     It's okay to admit you're better than others, but it's not okay to claim you're better than others when you're really not, or to ever brag. Too often people are afraid of owning their positive qualities in fear that people will judge them. Learn the difference between confessing positive qualities and bragging about them, or qualities that don't even exist within you.