Steering A Steady Course

Καὶ γὰρ οἰς μὲν εὔκολος πρὸς μεταβολὴν ὴ διάνοια, τούτοις οὐδεν ἀπεικος καὶ τὸν βιον εἰναι μὴ τεταγμνέον· οἶς δὲ πεπηγυία ἡ γνωμη, καὶ ἀεὶ ἐστῶσα καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ, τούτοις ἀκολουθον συμφώνως τῇ προαιρέσει τὴν ζωὴν διεξάγειν. Τῶ ὄντι γὰρ κυβερνήτη μὲν οὐκ ἐφεῖται γαλήνην ποιεῖν ὁτε βούλεται· ἡμιν δὲ ἀκυμονα ἐαυτοῖς καθιστᾷν τὸν βιον καὶ πάνυ ῥᾴδιον, ἐάν τοὺς ἔνδοθεν ἐκ τῶν παθῶν ἐπανισταμένους ἡμιν θορύβους κατασιγάσωμεν, καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν προσπιπτόντων ὑψηλοτέραν τὴν γνώμην καταστηθώμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ οὔτε ζημίαι, οὔτε ἀῥρωστίαι, οὔτε αἱ λοιπαὶ δυσχέρειαι τοῦ βίου, ἄψονται τοῦ σπουδαίου, ἔως ἄν ἔχῃ τὴν διάνοιαν τῷ Θεῷ ἐμπορευομενην, καὶ τὸ μελλον ἀποσκοποῦσαν, καὶ τῆς χαμόθεν ἐγειρομένης ζάλης κούφως καὶ εὐσταλῶς ὑπεραίρουσαν. Ἐπεὶ οἵ γε σφοδρῶς ταῖς τοῦ βίου μερίμναις κατειλημμένοι, οἶον ὄρνιθες πολύσαρκοι εἰκῆ τὸ πτερὸν ἔχοντες, κάτω που σύρονται μετὰ τῶν βοσκημάτων. Σε δὲ τοσοῦτον ἰδεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπετράπημεν, ὄσον οἱ ἐν πελάγει ἀλλήλους παραμειβόμενοι.  Ἅγιος Βασίλειος Καισαρείας, Ἐπιστολή ϚΓ’

As with the mind disposed to change, it is probable that life is not ordered; so with thought fixed and ever steadfast in itself, it follows that life is in accord with purpose. Indeed it is not given to the helmsman to make a calm when he wishes; but with us, it is no trouble at all to settle down life by stilling the storms of passion that surge within, that is, by rising above things that assail us from without. Neither loss, nor sickness, nor the other ills of life touch the steady man insofar as his mind walks with God, looking toward the future, and so easily and lightly he weathers the billows that rise up from below. Thus be not gravely troubled with the cares of life, for such men are like fat birds who have wings and yet lope along beside the grazing beasts. But you, the more you are given over to difficulties, should be like those who skim over the sea. Saint Basil of Caesarea, from Letter 93