Remember God. Call on him for help and protection, like sailors calling on their gods during a storm. What storm is worse than the one created by violent thoughts that sweep away your reason? The storm itself — what is it but just another thought? Take away your fear of death. Let there be all the thunder and lightning you want. You'll see how calm and peaceful your mind can be. But if you've been defeated once and say 'I'll win next time,' then say the same thing again and again — you'll end up so miserable and weak that you won't even know you're doing wrong anymore. You'll start making excuses for your bad behavior. Then you'll prove Hesiod was right: 'The person who keeps putting things off struggles with constant troubles.'
Remember God; call on him as a helper and protector, as men at sea call on the Dioscuri in a storm. For what is a greater storm than that which comes from appearances which are violent and drive away the reason? For the storm itself, what else is it but an appearance? For take away the fear of death, and suppose as many thunders and lightnings as you please, and you will know what calm and serenity there is in the ruling faculty. But if you have once been defeated and say that you will conquer hereafter, and then say the same again, be assured that you will at last be in so wretched a condition and so weak that you will not even know afterwards that you are doing wrong, but you will even begin to make apologies (defences) for your wrong-doing, and then you will confirm the saying of Hesiod to be true, With constant ills the dilatory strives.