Live in the present

While I was reading "Handbook of Epictetus" I realized that many of the ideas mentioned in it could be related to the ideas of the Tralfamadores in Slaughterhouse Five. In fact, it seems as if Vonnegut would have taken these ideals and placed them in his own words along with his own storyline. 

The first impression I got from the Tralfamadore's ideas was that they seemed very laid back and accepted life as it came instead of putting much thought into it as many people usually do. To me, their the typical example of 'leavers', those who adapt their needs to the world. They take things as they come, concentrate on thier present and believe in 'there are no ordinary moments'. 

"Do not seek to have events happen as you want them to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen, and your life will go well."

This passage taken from section 8 in the handbook, can be related to not only the time traveling of Billy Pilgrim and the 4 dimension theory but also to the 'so it goes' and its meaning to completing a 'circular' life. If things are meant to be they WILL happen and if their not meant to be then they simply won't happen. We must learn to accept and realize that we were not meant to analyze many things in life.