Marcus Aurelius: Collect yourself. As one waking from a…

A frightened mind is persuasive. It can turn a delayed reply into rejection, a small error into disaster, or a difficult conversation into a prediction about your entire future. While you are inside that state, the conclusion feels obvious. The remedy is to interrupt the spell, not by insisting that nothing is wrong, but by returning to what can be observed. What actually happened? What evidence supports the worst interpretation? What would you say to a friend in the same position? A walk, a shower, sleep, or a few slow breaths can create enough distance for these questions to work. Many worries shrink when they are viewed after the nervous system settles. Some remain, and then you can address them with clearer eyes. Today, if your thoughts begin racing ahead, name the present facts in simple language. Let reality, rather than alarm, tell you what requires attention.