To me both the getting and losing are outside my own self; and therefore I feel no chagrin.

Excerpt

I regard office when it comes as something which may not be declined; when it goes, as something which cannot be kept. To me both the getting and losing are outside my own self; and therefore I feel no chagrin. How am I better than other people?

Source Chuang Tzu, chapter 21, §11 · 📖 Read the full passage

✨ To meditate on today

According to Chuang Tzu, a minister who was three times appointed and then dismissed remained serene, because he knew that honours and disgrace concerned his office, not what he deeply is. Today, if a compliment or a criticism touches you, tell yourself: “This concerns my role, not my being,” and return to the calm of your breathing.

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