“To live a good life: We have the potential for it. If we can learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.” – Marcus Aurelius

The key to a good life is studied indifference? Seems illogical, right? Nope. Imagine if, when someone cut in front of you in line, you could respond with calm and a shrug of the shoulders. (It’s only an extra minute of waiting, right?) A coworker ticks you off—and you go about your day, unaffected. (It says more about them than you anyway) A cold and a sore throat—and you’re the same as you’ve always been, no complaints (Things could be worse).

That’s the point of these exercises: imperturbability. Things that make no difference, things that are outside your control, cease to affect you, and cease to bother you most of all. As a result, the circle of your attention and the problems that can disturb you becomes more limited and focused on items solely within your control. Imagine what that would feel like. Then do more than imagine it: build that kind of life and character for yourself.