There's a quote attributed to Seneca that states no man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity,

for he is not permitted to prove himself.

Meaning it's in pursuing the difficult thing that we obtain meaning.

Recognition, that we prove ourselves.

But prove ourselves to whom?

This is the same Seneca who famously stated that we suffer more in imagination than we do in

reality.

That he is most powerful who has power over himself.

And that's one of the beautiful things about stoicism.

It makes us ask a very simple but often overlooked question, who's really the adversary here?

Who's the opposition we're dealing with as we fight our battles?

What is it that must be transformed?

Is it the outside world?

Or the way our eyes view the outside world?

What's really holding us back?

The circumstances?

Or our own personal thoughts about the circumstances.

And I think this is where we misunderstand the challenges before us.

I want to delve into this power of perspective to explain that we are the gatekeepers between ourselves and our ideal lives.

And very often we do a good job of ensuring that gate stays closed.

We sabotage our own goals, our own dreams, our own happiness, while simultaneously pointing the finger at a million externalities.

See, when we look at the difficulties of life,

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