18. Turn Every Omen into Something Useful

A raven croaks and the old world called it an omen of bad luck. Epictetus takes even that and turns it into something useful.

When a raven happens to croak in an unlucky way, do not let the sound carry you off.

Make the distinction in yourself right away.

Say:

"None of these signs is sent for me. At most, it might touch my poor body, or my property, or my reputation, or my children, or my wife. To me, though, all signs are lucky, if I choose. Whatever happens from any of them, it is in my power to get some good out of it."

What this means. The world is full of signals. Most of them are not about you. The ones that are, you can still turn into something useful.