I once saw a man weeping because his leg had swollen from a fever. He called me to ask why I did not comfort him with words. “Comfort him,” he said, “for he is in pain.” I told him that if he wished to be free of pain, he must first learn that the swelling is not his fault. When we run after things outside our control, like health or wealth, we invite disaster. The man was running toward sickness as if it were a friend who would never leave him. Instead, he should have been running away from the judgment that makes sickness bad.

Now, stop chasing what you cannot hold. Do not desire your body to be strong when you are weak. Let your will turn only inward. If you must avoid poverty, do so by managing your own needs, not by begging for silver. Be gentle with yourself, but firm in this choice. Today, let go of the fear that death will take your life, and focus on how you live it now.