Control What You Can Control

One of the oldest lessons in the books: control what you can control.

Even kids are taught this lesson in various ways. Kids may learn this the hard way, but they come to understand that things do not always go their way, but that is okay.

Epictetus was a Greek, Stoic philosoper, who gave lectures related to focusing on what is in our control.

The Stoics are full of knowledge and I would highly recommend checking them out. Author Ryan Holiday has a great YouTube channel and a podcast as well if you want to learn more.

The main lesson I take from the Stoics is we are all capable of handling life with our head held high, despite the inevitable suffering. The four virtues of stoicism are wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation. From this approach, we can act ethically and find a greater peace and contentment.

When life feels challenging, we have the option to think about what we can control regarding the situation. We can’t control others opinions or most external circumstances, but we have a large say in our attitude, perspective, and more.

Resilience is a hot topic among educators because kids and adolescents need this skill amongst all the uncertainty in life, especially with the pandemic. Look no further than the alarming mental health statistics, most notably with adolescents and young adults, to know that many are vulnerable and struggle to deal with stress in healthy ways.

Social media likely harms many kids and adolescents’ sense of self, even if the effects are subtle. Viewing others through a filtered lens probaby leads to constant comparison and jealousy, or a false sense that others have a perfect life where they are always happy and top of things.

Besides pointing out facades, we can point out that we don’t really know how others feel or think, but we can control our response. I have found reflecting on this approach helpful and hope to do more in the near future.