Wanting Less

I’m noticing that when I get a little of something, I just want more. I bought a few new outfits to update my wardrobe and then I started thinking about all the other fashionable items I needed to complete my closet makeover. While spending a little time with my family, I wasted a lot of time thinking about how I could get more time with them, or when we could meet up like this again.

I think you see the problem here. Besides the fact that sometimes more is just not possible – too expensive, too little time – the desire for more takes away from what you have, or what’s present. Instead of admiring my new clothes and feeling grateful for them, I was coveting more. Instead of feeling that what I have is abundant and valuable, I was focusing on a lack. Instead of enjoying my time with family, I was letting that time slip away focusing on something else in the future.

So, I’m going to spend some time thinking about wanting less because I have a hunch that, in the process, I’ll gain so much more. Anything you could want a little less?

• "No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."  ~ Calvin Coolidge

• “Lives based on having are less free than lives based either on doing or being.” ~ William James