Don't let your reflection on the whole sweep of life crush you. Don't fill your mind with all the bad things that might still happen. Stay focused on the present situation.
During military campaigns, Marcus faced overwhelming responsibilities — battles, disease, betrayal. At times, the weight of it all seemed too much. But in *Meditations*, he constantly reminded himself to return to *now*. He wrote: 'You are not tasked with the future — only the present moment, rightly acted upon.' The Stoic solution to overwhelm? Slice time into moments. And act well within them.
Overwhelm lives in the future. Strength lives in the present.
"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have."