“You only live once, but when you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West
There is more joy in chasing lower than in pursuing more. Deep down, this can be a message we already know to be true.
It’s just that from the day we were born, we were told otherwise. We were told that possession equals joy.
Every ad ever made is designed to persuade us that our lives will improve if we buy what they sell.
And because we hear this message so persistently and from so many places, we subtly come to imagine it. As a result, we spend one of the best years of our lives working long hours to earn good money so we should buy nice things: houses, cars, fashion, technology, toys.
But after we hear the easy message that having less gives more joy and success, it rings true in our hearts and resonates in our soul.
We know that possession doesn’t equal joy. And we all know that our lives are too precious to be wasted chasing them.
It just helps to remind yourself sometimes.
So today remember:
Our lives are short:
And we only get one probability to live it well. Time passes quickly. And once we use it, we will not get it back. So take advantage of it.
Wealth steals our time and energy. They require countless maintenance to wash, maintain, repair, replace and get rid of. They steal our precious attention, time and energy, and all too often we do not even notice it until it’s too late.
Our life is exclusive:
Our appearance, our personality, our talents and the individuals who have influenced our lives have made us unique. As a result, our lives are exactly like no other.
And simply because everyone around us is chasing after material goods doesn’t suggest now we have to too. We can select our success symbols.
Much greater than material success, our hearts crave meaning because meaning endures. Goods, alternatively, are temporary. They perish, deteriorate and fade. And most of them, by design.
Our lives have the chance to encourage:
Let’s create traces value following, because nobody has ever modified the world by following another person.
People who change the world live in a different way and encourage others to do the identical. Possession may impress temporarily, nevertheless it never truly inspires.
Our lives are vital:
Our heart and soul make us priceless. Never sacrifice your vital role on this world by settling for things that might be bought with a plastic card.
Our lives are defined by our relationships:
From the closest members of the family to the strangers we meet day by day, the relationships we nurture have a profound impact on our lives.
By shifting our attention (and resources) away from material possessions and investing them in positive relationships, we are able to construct a powerful foundation for ourselves and others.
Our lives deserve higher:
Joy, happiness and success are present in the unseen things of life: love, hope, peace and relationships. And they are usually not on the market at your local department store. Stop on the lookout for them there.
People who live within the pursuit of possessions are never satisfied. They at all times crave newer, faster, or larger because material possessions can never satisfy our deepest heart desires. Those who at all times want more won’t ever find it.
Remind yourself today that your life is just too precious to be wasted within the pursuit of fabric things.
And find more joy by selecting to strive for something higher than more.
