What is an example of power over your mind?

The delayed flight: You can't speed the plane, but you can choose to read or seethe in the same waiting hours.

Where do you see power over your mind in everyday life?

The delayed flight; Marcus Aurelius' line; The bad weather wedding; Other people's opinions; The market crash.

When you can't control events, deliberately control your judgment of them — that's the one domain always within your power.

Meditations · Marcus Aurelius

Curated by Paulo de Vries · reviewed 2026-05-30

You have power over your mind, not over outside events. Realise this, and you find your strength — by governing the one thing that's truly yours.

The delayed flight
You can't speed the plane, but you can choose to read or seethe in the same waiting hours.
Marcus Aurelius' line
'You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.'
The bad weather wedding
The rain is fixed; whether it ruins the day is decided entirely inside your head.
Other people's opinions
You can't control what they think of you; you can control how much it runs your life.
The market crash
You can't move the market, but you can govern your panic and your next steady move.

When you can't control events, deliberately control your judgment of them — that's the one domain always within your power.
Catch the second arrow: the pain of an event plus the suffering you add by ruminating; drop the second.
Ask of any upset "is this in my control?" — if not, practice accepting it and redirect your effort to what is.

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