مَن يُرِدْ أن يكون حُرًّا إذن فليكفَّ عن أن يرغب في أي شيءٍ أو يتجنب أي شيء في قدرة غيره، وإلا فإنه يكون لا محالة عبدا. كل من جعل سعادته وهنائه في يد غيره أو ف… - Epictetus

What would have become of Hercules do you think if there had been no lion, hydra, stag or boar - and no savage criminals to rid the world of? What would he have done in the absence of such challenges?

Obviously he would have just rolled over in bed and gone back to sleep. So by snoring his life away in luxury and comfort he never would have developed into the mighty Hercules.

And even if he had, what good would it have done him? What would have been the use of those arms, that physique, and that noble soul, without crises or conditions to stir into him action?

Our possessions should be suited to our bodies and lives, just as our shoes are suited to our feet. Could you run better if your shoes were larger than your feet, or gold-plated and diamond studded? Of course not. Once you let your appetite exceed what is necessary and useful, desire knows no bounds.

We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.