LIVING A MEANINGFUL LIFE
I once met an elderly man who had lost almost everything. Career gone. Friends scattered. Health not as strong as before. Yet he spoke with calm, not bitterness. When I asked how he stayed steady, he said, “I stopped arguing with what life already decided. I focused on what was still in my hands.” That simple line stayed with me. It is the quiet power behind a meaningful life. Living a meaningful life is not about having everything go your way. It is about knowing what truly matters and standing firm within it. This is where Stoicism speaks clearly. The Stoics taught that life becomes lighter when we separate what we can control from what we cannot. Our thoughts, actions, and values are ours. Events, opinions, and outcomes are not. Peace begins the moment we accept this truth. Many people who shaped history lived by this principle, whether they named it or not. Leaders, builders, innovators. Nations that progressed learned discipline, responsibility, patience, and long-term think...