You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will.

Do not strive for things occurring to occur as you wish, but wish the things occurring as they occur, and you will flow well.

Never depend on the admiration of others for self-satisfaction. It is a fact of life that other people, even people who love you, will not necessarily agree with your ideas, understand you always, or share your enthusiasms.

Try not to react merely in the moment. Pull back from the situation. Take a wider view. Compose yourself.

He is free who lives as he wishes to live; who is neither subject to compulsion nor to hindrance, nor to force; whose movements to action are not impeded, whose desires attain their purpose, and who does not fall into that which he would avoid.

Appearances to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise man's task.

The wise realize that some things are within their control, and most things are not. They learn early on to distinguish between what they can and can't regulate.