Strive to achieve a healthy balance in your life
Success, in the holistic sense of the word, is a great deal more than material acquisition, but as much as we all acknowledge this to be true, at some level we are all in the control of the 'more more monster'. I realised this years ago while wandering through a clothing store.
Having purchased some new clothes only a week before, I had no real need for additional items. I had enough matching shoes, jackets, suits and handbags. Yet in spite of this, as I stood amongst the racks of jackets, jerseys and dresses, I wanted them - badly. I suddenly realised that at some level I would never ever have enough clothes. Wow! What a moment of truth! I realised that, the act of buying is an empty attempt to feel fulfilled and it simply does not feed your soul. What you buy gets gobbled by the more more monster in seconds, leaving you wanting - more.
The daily act of living is a daily act of getting, this we cannot get away from. But leaving the desire to buy to run unchecked, puts our lives out of balance. And this is not restricted to personal arenas. The more more monster is alive and well in businesses too - the ill gotten gains of the world's sweat shops merely drop into the bottomless pit of the more more monster. And the finger can point in the direction of traditional business too……
To be truly successful requires us to get our feet on the ground and realise that no amount of clothes, toys or bottom line success is going to give us true satisfaction and a sense of fulfilment. Shareholders who think their true pay back is profit, are missing out on the most rewarding payout possibilities - celebrating human endeavour.
I'm not saying that owning or desiring nice things is bad - I'm all for comfortable beds and reliable cars. But thinking that material possessions leads to fulfilment results in unhappiness; we will be unhappy when we don't have, because we think we don't have; and we will be unhappy when we do have, because we will realise money doesn't fulfil us.
Instead of being forever in search of more and more possessions, it vital that we stop and entertain thoughts of enough-ness. I experienced this enough-ness walking on the beach recently.
It was a beautiful day, and the surf was up, the air was quaffed with salt and seaweed. The diamond sunlight zig zagged on the water. As I soaked up the moment, I became overwhelmed with gratitude that I could take a walk, at will, in a place like this. I thought of the millions of people who would never smell the sea air, the many disabled who stroll at ease , and those too burdened to even entertain such light relief. In that moment I was instantly rich beyond belief. My soul was well and truly fed. I had no need.
The urge to buy and buy is a call to feed your soul. Listen. Focus on just how much you really have, even if it's simply having life. Choose to build an enough-ness thinking. In this way your moment overflows, and you know deep down that just being who you are is enough!
© Catherine M Glennie
