Marcus Aurelius: It is in my power concerning this thing…

Something happened. That fact is outside your mind. But whether it becomes a source of lasting turmoil depends heavily on what you decide it means. Marcus keeps returning to this point because it is easy to forget in the moment. A flat tire, a rejection letter, a rude comment, a bad forecast: none of these can directly command your judgment. You are the one who calls them unbearable, humiliating, proof that everything is wrong. Again, this is not denial. Some events are genuinely painful and require action. The Stoic move is to separate the event from the mental verdict. What is the truest description of this? What part of it is actually mine to address? What story am I adding because I am scared or angry? Your mind is not a passive inbox. It is an active interpreter. Treat that power with care today, especially when emotions rush to interpret before facts arrive.