“I am your teacher and you are learning in my school. My aim is to bring you to completion, unhindered, free from compulsive behavior, unrestrained, without shame, free, flourishing, and happy, looking to God in things great and small–your aim is to learn and diligently practice all these things. Why then don’t you complete the work, if you have the right aim and  I have both the right aim and  right preparation? What is missing?…The work is quite feasible, and is the only thing in our power…Let go of the past. We must only begin. Believe me and you will see.” Epictetus, Discourses, 2.19.29-34

Work in progress. Make the right choices to control what I have control of , my mind. Trying to enjoy humor about what is happening in trumpland.

“I propose a Constitutional Amendment requiring a President to be a taxpayer.” Andy Borowitz.

“So in the majority of other things, we address circumstances not in accordance with the right assumptions, but mostly by following wretched habit. Since all that I’ve said is the case, the person in training must seek to rise above, so as to stop seeking out pleasure and steering away from pain; to stop clinging to living and abhorring death; and in the case of property and money, to stop valuing receiving over giving.” Musonius  Rufus, Lectures, 6.2.5-11

Now is not the time for inaction as a habit but to spring into action. Instead of just reposting of Facebook it is to support the groups that will be fighting the fight.

“Tranquility can’t be grasped except by those who have reached an unwavering and firm power of judgment–the rest constantly fall and rise in their decisions, wavering in a state of alternately rejecting and accepting things. What is the cause of this back and forth? Its because nothing is clear and they rely on the most uncertain guide–common opinion.” Seneca, Moral Letters, 95.57b-58a

Tranquility is a little beyond my reach at the moment. The trump is filling the internet with out right lies again. His attempt again to throw the spotlight off  of what is important. This fucker is out of his mind and he will be President of the United States of America. Breathe, breathe, control of my mind is my goal.

“Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet. What thoughts now occupy my mind. Is it not fear, suspicion, desire, or something like that?” Marcus  Aurelius,  Meditations, 12-19

I choose to listen to Bernie Sanders about keeping the issues in the forefront that are important. I will not be distracted and waste energy on trump tweets that are then amplified by the media.

“We control our reasoned choice and all acts that depend on that moral will. What’s not under our control are the body and any of its parts, our possessions, parents, siblings, children, or country-anything with which we might associate.” Epictetus, Discourses, 1.22.10

I have control only of my mind and sometimes I wonder about that. I see the pictures of the trump which supposedly he doesn’t want shown  and I can hear him do the big sniff he did in the debates when he was going off script. I let it float away.  Practice,  practice, practice.

“Keep this thought at the ready at daybreak, and through the day and night- there is only one path to happiness, and that is in giving up all outside of your sphere of choice, regarding nothing else as your possession, surrendering all else to God and Fortune.” Epictetus, Discourses, 4.4.39

My choice is all I have to make of this day what comes my way. The wheels of trumpland continue to roll on. I choose to stand back and breathe and turn off the noise.

“For if a person shifts their caution to their own reasoned choices and the acts of those choices,  they will at the same time gain the will to avoid, but if they shift their caution away from their own reasoned choices to things not under their control, seeking to avoid what is controlled by others, they will then be agitated, fearful, and unstable.” Epictetus. Discourses, 2.1.12

“It looks as though trump is assembling a crew for a pirate ship” John Cleese. Looking at his cabinet picks I keep repeating to myself  ” under my control”. Enjoy dinner.

“The essence of good is a certain kind of reasoned choice; just as the essence of evil is another kind. What about externals, then? They are only the raw material for our reasoned choice, which finds its own good or evil in working with them. How will it find the good? Not by marveling at the material! For if judgements about the material are straight that makes our choices good, but if those judgements are twisted, our choices turn bad.”

So how can I see Trumps win as a good thing? I can make the choice to see the resurrection of the Democratic Party into a more progressive entity. Rejuvenate the workers toward unions. Add to that stronger on climate change, taxes for rich to balance the inequality gap, human rights, corporations less power and money out of politics. OK I’m feeling a little bit better.

“Some things are in our control, while others are not. We control our opinion, choice, desire, aversion, and, in a word, everything of our own doing. We don’t control our body, property, reputation, position, and in a word, everything not of our own doing. Even more, the things in our control are by nature free, unhindered, and unobstructed, while those not in our control are weak, slavish, can be hindered, and are not our own.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, 1.1-2

I control my opinion of what is fair or unfair. I have found I agree with Trump killing TPP. I will enjoy the moment. The other 99% unfair. I breathe and relax and find the calm spot where the waves roll by as I am still.

“We must give up many things to which we are addicted, considering them to be good. Otherwise,  courage will vanish, which should continually test itself. Greatness of soul will be lost, which can’t stand out unless it disdains as petty what the mob regards as most desirable. Seneca, Moral Letters, 74.12b-13

The ability to abstain that which takes our time and is a harness we strap on each day. My habit now of each day of seeing what is new in this Trump nightmare. I can feel my stomach twist as I read. I have cut out TV news all together. I listen to NPR still but not as much as I did. I need to bring this under my control of my emotions. I need to stay abreast of what is happening and keep the long view of the end. Hold on to my greatness of soul.