We recently talked about how, as parents, all we control is how we play. Well at some point, your kids are going to be introduced to this same law of the universe.

When they start playing sports, they will learn that they don’t control the weather or the conditions on the field or the performance of their teammates. They only control how they play. When they start going to school, they will learn that they don’t control the material they’re taught or the teaching style of their teachers. They only control how they play. When they start working, they will learn that they don’t control what their boss or coworkers do. They only control how they play.

The Stoics called it our “chief task in life.” It was simply to distinguish between what we can control and what we can’t. Once we have organized our understanding of the world into this stark categorization, all that’s left is to focus on what we can control.

We control how we play.
Not whether we win.
We control how we play.
Not if people like us.
We control how we play.
Not if the crowd cheers us on.
We control how we play.

That’s it. Make sure you teach them that.