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If we judge as good and evil only the things in the power of our own choice, then there is no room left for blaming gods or being hostile to others.”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.41
Many of us have heard the phrases “the buck stops here” and “passing the buck”. It’s likely we’ve woven them both into our own lexicons of axioms, idioms, and adages. In modern times, these phrases carry connotations of passing blame, letting the next person do something, or to shirk one’s duty… but like all good turns of phrase, they originate from somewhere.
See, the “buck” was a token once used in card games that indicated which of the players was the dealer, and consequently, which of the players was taking responsibility for the hand. Once again, the person with the “buck” was the one that takes responsibility.
Well… just like the dealer is responsible for the card game, and the president is responsible for the nation, as the responsibility-takers of our own lives, we constantly inhabit those positions of authority and responsibility in our own lives.
Since we can only control what’s in our purview of control, and since we won’t be pawning off the responsibility of our lives on anyone else, we become strong. We become the heroes of our own sagas because…
… we learn to ACCEPT responsibility.
Acceptance. Amor Fati. Taking responsibility.
Different species of the same fruit.
(See y’all tomorrow)
See, the “buck” was a token once used in card games that indicated which of the players was the dealer, and consequently, which of the players was taking responsibility for the hand. Once again, the person with the “buck” was the one that takes responsibility.
Well… just like the dealer is responsible for the card game, and the president is responsible for the nation, as the responsibility-takers of our own lives, we constantly inhabit those positions of authority and responsibility in our own lives.
Since we can only control what’s in our purview of control, and since we won’t be pawning off the responsibility of our lives on anyone else, we become strong. We become the heroes of our own sagas because…
… we learn to ACCEPT responsibility.
Acceptance. Amor Fati. Taking responsibility.
Different species of the same fruit.
(See y’all tomorrow)
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