Epictetus encourages us to keep a clear mental boundary between what is truly ours—our actions, thoughts, and responses—and what belongs to others, including their judgments, opinions, and behaviors.

It's easy to get tangled in the web of ownership, mistakenly believing that external events or other people's actions are within our control. Have you ever found yourself frustrated or upset by someone else's choices, despite the fact they were out of your control?

By recognizing that we only truly own our reactions and decisions, we free ourselves from needless stress and disappointment. This realization empowers us to navigate life peacefully, without feeling compelled or constrained by factors outside our reach.

Imagine you're in traffic and someone cuts you off. Our first instinct might be to honk, get angry, and let it ruin our mood. But if we apply Epictetus's wisdom, we see that the other driver's actions aren't ours to control, only how we respond is.

If we choose calm and carry on without incident, then we've successfully protected our inner peace.

So, ask yourself: "What is truly under my control in this situation?" By focusing solely on that, the external chaos loses its grip on us. No blame, no enmity, just a serene journey through life where we are solely authors of our own story.