August 17, 2025- Don't only explain

“Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

~Epictetus

The idea is not lost on me, as I write yet another page explaining my philosophy, that I should use this Epictetus quote for today’s prompt.

The word missing from the quote is “only.“ Don’t only explain your philosophy. It is important to set our intentions before we are able to practice behaviors that honor them. If we make all our choices spontaneously, we are too close to the situation and will be too moved by our emotions and our impulses. We will be more likely to do what feels good right now than what is good for our journey toward the best version of us.

If we have clearly defined our intentions to ourselves, there is no need to preach them to others. We can confide our plans to others if we believe that may better hold us accountable, but if our goal is to better ourselves, nobody needs to hear or read about it. If our goal is to inspire others, it is much more powerful to embody our philosophy than it is to say one thing and do another.

Our words can be powerful, for ourselves and for others. But it is our actions that hold the greatest power. We can explain our philosophy. In fact, we must, but words are just words, and they can ring hollow. Our actions are where the rubber meets the road.