You had to expect this, right?

Nobody’s luck holds out forever. Markets don’t only go up. Adversity is inevitable. Look at Marcus Aurelius’ life: He had illness. He lost young children. His country was attacked. A pandemic struck. Look at Seneca: Also lost a young child. Also had illness. Was exiled. Lived under a tyrant. 

That’s life. It’s not easy. It doesn’t always go your way. 

One of the interesting observations in Meditations is about rude people. Marcus asks, is a world without such people possible? No, he says; a certain percentage of folks are just going to be like this. Remembering that helps you when you eventually bump into one. 

We can say the same about adversity and misfortune. No life is without it, just as no climate is completely without rain. It’s going to happen. We’re going to look outside and see it’s pouring sometimes. It’s silly to think otherwise. Or to be too upset when it happens. 

You knew this was a possibility. Now it is here. 

Deal with it. 

P.S. This was originally sent on March 14, 2021. Sign up today for the Daily Stoic’s email and get our popular free 7-day course on Stoicism.