Control what you can.

Hello brother,

Imagine if you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice…

What would it be?

For me, it would be this: invest in Bitcoin early.

But if I could give my younger self a second piece of advice, it would be this:

You can't always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you react to it.

This is the core principle of The dichotomy of control, a Stoic philosophy that can help you live a more resilient and fulfilling life.

What is the dichotomy of control?

The dichotomy of control is a Stoic practice that divides everything into two categories: things you can control and things you can't.

Things you can control:

• Your thoughts

• Your beliefs

• Your values

• Your actions

• Your perspective

Things you can't control:

• Other people's thoughts, beliefs, values, and actions

• The weather

• Traffic

• The economy

• Politics

• Time

• Everything else that's outside of your direct influence

How can the dichotomy of control help you?

The dichotomy of control can help you in a few ways:

• It can help you focus your energy on the things you can control.
  
  When you're not wasting your time and energy trying to change things you can't, you can focus on making progress in the areas where you do have power.
  

• It can help you accept the things you can't control.
  
  This doesn't mean you have to be happy about them, but it does mean that you can stop resisting them and start focusing on what you can do to move forward.
  

• It can help you become more resilient.
  
  When you know that you have the power to choose your response to any situation, you become less likely to be knocked down by setbacks and challenges.

How to use the dichotomy of control

To use the dichotomy of control, simply ask yourself the following question:

Can I control this?

If the answer is yes, then take action.

If the answer is no, then accept it and move on.

Easier said than done, I know…

But it’s worth practicing.

Here are some examples:

• You can't control the weather, but you can control how you react to it. 
  
  If it's raining, you can either complain about it or you can put on a raincoat or bring an umbrella.
  

• You can't control traffic, but you can control how you react to it. 
  
  If you're stuck in traffic, you can either get angry or you can listen to a podcast or audiobook.
  

• You can't control the economy, but you can control your spending habits. 
  
  If the economy is down, you can either cut back on your expenses or find ways to make extra money.

The dichotomy of control is a simple but powerful tool that can help you improve your life and reduce your suffering.

Try it out and let me know if you found it to be helpful.

Your #1 fan,

- @elevatestart

PS. If you are serious about changing your life, you should start by changing the way you think…

Consider grabbing 100 Mental Models. It will force you to think multidisciplinary, like the greatest men in history.