Episode 383: Stop Worrying About What You Can’t Control | 5 Rules That Change Everything

Feeling overwhelmed by things you can’t control? Struggling with stress, uncertainty, or the chaos of business and life? The truth is—you don’t need to control everything. You just need to focus on the right things.

In this episode of the WBNL Podcast, Jan O’Brien and Matt Emerson break down five timeless rules—drawn from ancient wisdom yet more relevant than ever—that can help you shift your mindset, build resilience, and find clarity in both business and life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to stop wasting energy on what’s outside your control

• Why leaning into discomfort builds strength and confidence

• How remembering life’s brevity sharpens focus on what truly matters

• Why integrity and virtue outlast wealth or quick wins

• How to embrace challenges as fuel for growth instead of roadblocks

Episode Timestamps

• 00:00 – Welcome
• 00:43 – What Stoicism really means (and why it’s practical today)
• 03:33 – Rule #1: Control What You Can, Release What You Can’t
• 05:58 – Rule #2: Practice Voluntary Discomfort
• 08:03 – Rule #3: Memento Mori (Remember You Will Die)
• 09:56 – Rule #4: Virtue is the Highest Good
• 10:59 – Rule #5: Amor Fati (Love Your Fate)
• 14:17 – How to integrate these rules into your daily life & business
• 16:29 – Resources & Recommended Reading

Resources & Recommended Reading

• The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

• The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

• Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

• Letters from a Stoic by Seneca

• Discourses by Epictetus

• DailyStoic.com 

Ready to Bring More Clarity Into Your Life & Business?

Explore The Clarity Series — a guided journey to align your mindset, elevate your daily practices, and expand into new possibilities.

• : https://www.wbnlcoaching.com/offers/gYRTUBia/checkout

Resources & Links:

• Subscribe on YouTube: @MindfulWandering

• Follow us on Instagram: @WanderForClarity