“If you have a favorite cup, remember that it is only a cup that you prefer. If it is broken, you can bear it.” — Epictetus
There are things in your life that you love, or that help you, or that you enjoy having around — and that’s okay. Just be sure to remind yourself of what they really are.
Epictetus gives the example of a cup. If you like a specific cup, he tells us, you should remind yourself that it’s really just some ceramic and paint. That way, if it ever breaks, you won’t be as upset.
Try applying that to things that might seem more important, too. If you’re proud of the house you live in, then tell yourself, “I’m really just proud of some wood, brick and drywall.”
And finally, when you kiss someone you love, tell yourself, “I’m kissing a human being, who could someday be taken away from me by stuff I don’t control.”
It’s always tough to lose someone you love. But reminding yourself that we’re all just mortals can make it a bit easier to handle whatever the future brings.