I see many who believe the key to a good life lies in the acquisition of possessions, the securing of a comfortable position, or the admiration of others. They are like sailors who believe they can calm the sea by polishing the deck. The sea is not theirs to command.

The only thing that is truly ours is our faculty of choice—our ability to assent to truth, to dissent from falsehood, and to direct our own impulses. This is our ship. To polish it, to mend its sails, to learn to steer it with virtue regardless of the weather—this is the work. The storm may rage, but a well-kept ship and a skilled captain will find their way. Attend to your ship, not the sea.