What Alexander Couldn't Give
Stand out of my light
Diogenes lived in a large ceramic jar in the marketplace of Corinth, having given up nearly every possession he owned. When Alexander the Great, ruler of the known world, tracked him down and offered to grant him any wish, he found the philosopher simply lying in the sun. Diogenes did not ask for money, land, or protection—he asked the most powerful man alive to step aside so the sunlight could keep reaching him. It is one of the oldest lessons in resilience: the person who needs nothing from power can never be controlled by it.
Reflection
Diogenes needed nothing from the most powerful man alive. What do I have right now that no one else needs to give me?