Epictetus, Discourses, Book II, 5:
When it comes to externals, Epictetus warns, "...it is morally wrong not to care, and contrary to our nature. Be careful how you use them, because it's not unimportant - but at the same time be calm and composed, because things in themselves don't matter...it isn't easy to reconcile the two - the carefulness of the person devoted to externals and the dignity of one who's detached - but it's not impossible. Otherwise happiness would be impossible."
So that is the key to happiness - a balance between careful attentiveness to externals and the peacefulness of forming attachments only to one's virtue.
Another formulation is to say that externals matter because our conduct in handling externals reflects on our virtue: "externals I cannot control, but the choices I make in regards to them I do control. Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my choices."
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