Commentary on Meditations: B4:1-2

Wherever it is in agreement with nature, the ruling power within us takes a flexible approach to circumstances, always adapting itself easily to both practicality and the given event. It has no favoured material for its work, but sets out on its objects in a conditional way, turning any obstacle into material for its own use. It is like a fire mastering whatever falls into it. A small flame would be extinguished, but a bright fire rapidly claims as its own all that is heaped on it, devours it all, and leaps up yet higher in consequence.

No action should be undertaken without aim, or other than in conformity with a principle affirming the art of life.

Ryan Holiday's book The Obstacle is the Way is based off the premise of this passage.

Recall that the ruling power within you is often referred to as the divinity within and is known as your daimon. And sometimes, this ruling power is referred to as the hegemonikon. This is your rational power. This is the portion of you that decides what to do when something is up to you.

The true key to resiliency is attitude and how you view the world. Each of us has a "ruling power" - the essence of what makes us human - the ability to choose how we think, feel and act. And this ruling power is flexible. That is the secret sauce - we are not some robot made of some rigid set of rules that we never deviate from. We can change our perspective regardless of circumstances, events and other peoples' actions and attitudes.

As Hadot quotes Seneca in The Inner Citadel, he says, "A good person dyes events with his own color ... and turns whatever happens to his own benefit." (p. 199).

The other concept to remember about turning obstacles into opportunities is to view everything as practice. Earthquakes, bad presentations, little sleep, a car wreck, health problems ... all can be seen as opportunities to improve your resiliency - opportunities to show your mettle. And this brings me to my next point. These things I just listed off are also known as indifferents. You cannot practice your art or excellence unless there are events and indifferents on which to practice. We need indifferents to demonstrate excellence.

To conclude, let me share a favorite movie scene from Batman Begins. Bruce Wayne is in a foreign prison and is about to be beat up. The big dude about to bust his chops threatens him, to which Bruce responds, "you're not the devil, you're practice." This is the type of attitude we should assume whenever we face some trial or challenge or temptation. Each of these indifferents or obstacles are opportunities to practice your excellence of what is up to you.

(see also Citadel p. 198)