The Glass Is Already Broken

Having read today's message, you might be struck thinking ones best bet is to live life as a pessimist. After all, if you always expect the worse, you are less likely to be taken aback when it happens. That is not the real message.

"The Daily Stoic" authors provide the example of a Zen master who repeats to himself that his prized glass cup "…is already broken". He uses the cup and shares it with visitors, but in his thoughts, the glass has already been broken. When the glass actually breaks, he simply says, "Of course".

This is not a lesson on how to be a pessimist, but instead a lesson on how we have choices.

Conclusion

In reality, we don't need to be pessimistic, but rather consider not everything is within our control. Instead of expecting the worse around the corner, we should remember that we have a choice about how we react when something bad happens.