Rules of Life, The, 4th Edition

RULE 17

Change what you can change, let go of the rest

Time is short. This is another of those facts you can’t escape; it’s a given. If time is short then it makes sense not to go wasting any of it, not a single lovely drop of it. It’s my observation that the successful people in this life are the ones who wring every last ounce of satisfaction and energy out of life. They do that by practising this simple Rule. They pay attention to what, in their life, they have some control over and they simply, economically (time-wise), let go of the rest.

If someone asks you directly for help, then that’s something you can do – or not, as you choose. If the whole world asks you for help, then there is very little you can do. Beating yourself up over it ...