12. Risk a Little Loss for a Great Gain

Do not protect your progress by holding on to your old worries. Epictetus asks you to risk a little loss for a great gain.

If you want to make progress, lay aside such thoughts as these:

"If I ignore my business, I will have nothing to live on. If I do not correct my servant, he will be good for nothing."

It is better to die of hunger, free from grief and fear, than to live in plenty with a troubled mind. It is better for your servant to be a poor one than for you to be unhappy.

Start with small things. Is a little oil spilled? A little wine stolen?

Say to yourself:

"This is the price I pay for calm. Nothing worth having is gotten for nothing."

When you call your servant, keep in mind that he may not come at your call, or, if he does, that he may not do what you want. He is not so important that he should have the power to upset you.

What this means. A calm mind costs something. Pay the small costs on purpose, and the big ones will not knock you over.