This icon of Stoic Philosophy and advisor to Nero lived in 65AD. This quote as well as “You have power over your mind but no power over outside events” could be considered way ahead of their time and never really recognized as some of the greatest advice mankind could ever receive relative to our suffering.
Most of us become devastated by worry over what “could or might be” the result of an action that may or may not even happen.
We live in that misery for extended periods of time until we find relief after realizing our catastrophizing was unwarranted.
In most cases even after the event we fear materializes, the impact was nowhere as devastating as our mind had created.
Not only are we living in manufactured and/or borrowed grief, we are destroying the present moment along with whatever point in time the event would come due.
There is nothing to gain from worry, projection and living in an illusory future.
Keeping focused on the blessings in the present moment while planting seeds for a positive future will mitigate unnecessary suffering that is self inflected.
Take a worry break.