Seneca asked Roman readers to picture losing what they loved: the morning coffee, a friend's voice, the key to your home.
Stoics called it premeditatio malorum, rehearsing a loss before it arrives. Imagine exile, or a broken cup, and comfort turns into something received, not owed.
The trick works because you mentally remove a possession, then notice its value when it returns.
The cup never left the table. Now you can see it.