The Enchiridion   

you will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say
that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be
disturbed if either of them dies.
4. When you are going about any action, remind yourself what nature
the action is. If you are going to bathe, picture to yourself the
things which usually happen in the bath: some people splash the water,
some push, some use abusive language, and others steal. Thus you will
more safely go about this action if you say to yourself, "I will now
go bathe, and keep my own mind in a state conformable to nature."
And in the same manner with regard to every other action. For thus,
if any hindrance arises in bathing, you will have it ready to say,
"It was not only to bathe that I desired, but to keep my mind in a
state conformable to nature; and I will not keep it if I am bothered
at things that happen.
5. Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions
which they form concerning things. Death, for instance, is not terrible,
else it would have appeared so to Socrates. But the terror consists
in our notion of death that it is terrible. When therefore we are
hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others,
but to ourselves; that is, to our own principles. An uninstructed
person will lay the fault of his own bad condition upon others. Someone
just starting instruction will lay the fault on himself. Some who
is perfectly instructed will place blame neither on others nor on
himself.
6. Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own. If
a horse should be prideful and say, " I am handsome," it would be
supportable. But when you are prideful, and say, " I have a handsome
horse," know that you are proud of what is, in fact, only the good
of the horse. What, then, is your own? Only your reaction to the appearances
of things. Thus, when you behave conformably to nature in reaction
to how things appear, you will be proud with reason; for you will
take pride in some good of your own.
7. Consider when, on a voyage, your ship is anchored; if you go on
shore to get water you may along the way amuse yourself with picking
up a shellish, or an onion. However, your thoughts and continual attention
ought to be bent towards the ship, waiting for the captain to call
on board; you must then immediately leave all these things, otherwise
you will be thrown into the ship, bound neck and feet like a sheep.
So it is with life. If, instead of an onion or a shellfish, you are
given a wife or child, that is fine. But if the captain calls, you
must run to the ship, leaving them, and regarding none of them. But
if you are old, never go far from the ship: lest, when you are called,
you should be unable to come in time.
8. Don't demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they
happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.
9. Sickness is a hindrance to the body, but not to your ability to
choose, unless that is your choice. Lameness is a hindrance to the
leg, but not to your ability to choose. Say this to yourself with
regard to everything that happens, then you will see such obstacles
as hindrances to something else, but not to yourself.