As we get towards the end of the year, I think this might be my resolution.
Philosophy does not claim to get a person any external possession. To do so would be beyond its field. As wood is to the carpenter, bronze to the sculptor, so our own lives are the proper material in the art of living.
Epictetus
We have our own tools for living life. Your looks, eyesight, circumstances are beyond your ability to change. But what you can change is your attitude and your accomplishments.
And, yes, I know this is a first world solution. The circumstances of the poor, or people born in war zones, or people born with certain disabilities may not have the "material" for a great living as we would describe it. Yet there is hope and fun and life there as well. Watch kids play soccer in the on the street, or hide and seek in an ex-war zone, or even bringing a touch of normalcy to a refugee camp.
I think that part of our individual "proper material" is the ability to care for others and share our gifts.
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