“Prosperity depends more on wanting what you have than having what you want.” -Geoffrey F. Abert
No matter what you have, you can always identify something that is lacking. If you have a great relationship, you might ascertain that you’ve lost touch with a hobby you once loved. If you earn plenty of money, you can probably identify tons of people who earn more–and with less effort than you expel.
It’s just not possible to feel like you have it all because you can’t possibly have everything at once. And no matter how much you gain, there will always be someone else who appears to have more.
When you get caught up in the endless, aching cycle of wanting and comparing, nothing ever feels like enough–and as a result, nothing provides the joy you previously imagined it would. Every gain is a hollow satisfaction when you see it in the context of everything that’s left to be had.
Perhaps the key to feeling prosperous is seeing what’s in front of you solely for what it is. It’s not always easy to do. When you have a moment with someone you love, you may drift into fantasies of an even greater adventure. When you have an hour off, it’s tempting to wish you had a whole day.
But then those moments and hours fade away, and you’re left with the same choice in new moments and hours.
Time eventually runs out. We can either appreciate and enjoy what’s in front of us, or stress about how inadequate it is, but we can’t ever do both at once. Which do you choose today?
Photo by aaron.bihari
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