I, Not Events, Have the Power to Make Me Happy or Unhappy Today.

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.

Groucho Marx

I’m impressed how ancient philosophies like Stoicism have survived through the ages and still influence people whether they know it or not. This quote by famous comedian and actor Groucho Marx channels some of Marcus Aurelius’s thoughts one can find in his Meditations. And, because I’m constantly trying to make my own reality, I kind of favor quotes like this that are very empowering. It’s all in me, how I decide to be.

About the author

Groucho Marx (/ˈɡraʊtʃoʊ/; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit and one of America’s greatest comedians. Marx maintained his irrepressible sense of humor to the very end, however. George Fenneman, his radio and TV announcer, good-natured foil, and lifelong friend, often related a story of one of his final visits to Marx’s home: When the time came to end the visit, Fenneman lifted Marx from his wheelchair, put his arms around his torso, and began to “walk” the frail comedian backwards across the room towards his bed. As he did, he heard a weak voice in his ear: “Fenneman,” whispered Marx, “you always were a lousy dancer.”