The One Thing That’s Always in Your Control
What Marcus Aurelius Knew About Success That Most Entrepreneurs Ignore
Two business owners face the same problem: their biggest client suddenly leaves.
One panics. They scramble to replace the lost revenue, making rushed decisions that weaken their business even more. They cut prices, chase any client they can find, and spend sleepless nights stressing over what went wrong.
The other takes a breath. They analyze their options and decide that this is an opportunity to refine their offers, attract better-fit clients, and build a more sustainable revenue model.
Same problem. Two completely different outcomes.
The difference? One lets external circumstances control them. The other focuses on what they can control.
Marcus Aurelius put it this way:
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Most business owners don’t fail because they lack talent, opportunity, or strategy. They fail because they spend too much energy focusing on things they can’t control—the economy, competition, market shifts—when their real power lies in controlling their own thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Are You Handing Over Control of Your Business Without Realizing It?
Be honest—have you ever let a slow sales month make you question your entire business? Or let a difficult client make you doubt your own value?
It happens to almost every business owner. But when you let external events dictate your mindset, you’re no longer running your business—your emotions are.
- A slow month turns into a spiral of self-doubt, so you start discounting your prices just to make a sale.
- A competitor undercuts you, so you scramble to copy their strategy instead of refining your own.
- A negative comment from a client makes you second-guess your expertise, so you decide not to post on social media for a while.
- A client ghosts you, and suddenly you’re questioning your entire business model.
None of these things actually change the value of your business. But your reaction to them can.
Take a business coach who sees a competitor selling a similar program for half the price. Instead of staying focused on what makes their offer unique, they react emotionally—slashing their prices and undermining their own value. The result? They attract the wrong clients, lower their margins, and build a business that isn’t profitable or fulfilling.
When you let outside events control your internal state, you end up making decisions from fear instead of strategy.
Your Mindset Shapes Every Decision You Make
Every challenge in business can go one of two ways—it can derail you, or it can make you better. The difference isn’t the challenge itself. It’s how you choose to respond.
- Your mindset dictates how you handle setbacks.
- Your mindset determines how you lead your team.
- Your mindset shapes how you make decisions.
A consultant launches a new service, and the first few months are slower than expected. If they react emotionally, they might assume it’s a failure, scrap the offer, and move on to something else. But if they step back, analyze the data, and make strategic adjustments, they stay the course. Three months later, the service takes off—because they didn’t let short-term emotions lead to short-sighted decisions.
The strongest business owners aren’t the ones who avoid problems or pretend they’re not happening. They’re the ones who train themselves to think clearly and act intentionally, no matter what’s happening around them.
How to Stop Reacting and Take Back Control
Mindset isn’t about “thinking positively.” It’s about training yourself to respond to challenges with clarity and control.
Here’s a simple way to take back control of your thoughts and reactions:
First, recognize when you’re reacting emotionally. If something throws you off, don’t act immediately. Before making a big decision, take a five-minute pause to check if you’re reacting or thinking. Example: You get a bad review. Your first instinct is to fire off a defensive email. Instead, you pause and ask, “Am I seeing this clearly?”
Second, reframe the situation. Instead of asking, Why is this happening to me? ask, What can I learn from this? Example: A potential client doesn’t sign with you. Instead of assuming you did something wrong, you ask what insights you can gain—was there a gap in your offer? A way to improve your messaging?
Third, refocus on what’s in your control. You can’t control losing a client after the fact, but you can control how you attract the next one. You can’t control market changes, but you can adjust your strategy. Example: A therapist loses a big referral source and immediately feels like their practice is in jeopardy. But instead of getting stuck in panic, they use the setback as a push to create a direct outreach system that brings in even better clients—giving them more control over their business than they had before.
The difference between business owners who struggle and business owners who succeed isn’t primarily external circumstances. It’s how they think.
The Business Owner Who Controls Their Mind Controls Their Success
If you want long-term success, focus less on what’s happening outside your business and more on what’s happening inside your head.
Clients will come and go. Your confidence should remain steady. Markets will shift. Your ability to adapt will determine your success. Challenges will arise. Your response is what will make or break your business.
Mastering your mindset isn’t just about feeling better. It’s about running your business better.
Right Now, You Have a Choice
You can keep reacting to things you can’t control—or take full ownership of what you can.
What will you choose?
