Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

The saying urges a deliberate shift of attention: instead of rehearsing past hardships, one should inventory present “blessings.” Its logic is comparative and universalizing—everyone has suffered something, but everyone also has something to be thankful for—so the ethical choice is where to dwell mentally. The quote functions as practical stoicism: it does not deny misfortune, but argues that fixation on it distorts one’s sense of life and diminishes resilience. As advice, it promotes gratitude as a discipline, implying that well-being is shaped not only by circumstances but by habitual reflection and the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves about our past.