Be Sharpened Along The Way
A distinguishing element of the Stoics was the following: they accepted reality—the real, the here, and the now. It wasn’t a passive acceptance they exhibited (read: one of succumbing), but an active one marked by a commitment to operating at their highest capacity within the circumstances they found themselves.
In Sharon Lebell’s interpretation of Epictetus’ works The Art of Living, we find this encouragement: "Pursue the good ardently. But if your efforts fall short, accept the result and move on." Act, learn, adjust, repeat.
What we’re to combat in the wake of any disappointment despite best efforts is the notion that the outcome renders the actions insignificant. Much of what we seek requires both effort and circumstance; Stoic resolve both aids and results from a focus on the former. Occurrences of goal-circumstance misalignment shouldn't damper our commitment to intentional, targeted action, but amplify it, reminding us that consistency makes its coinciding with the rightcircumstances likely, too.
Outcomes being equal, action sharpens us along the way, illuminating where to improve, what to eliminate, and so on. Effort does not entitle us to specific results; consistency, however, improves our aim. Action is our strength whatever the results may be.
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