Fools and Their Money Going Out Wanting
When one no longer desires, what is there left to do? If we follow the parable that to desire only leads to suffering, then our lives may become boring. I want for nothing means that we do not crave anything. That does not sound very exciting. I want absolutely nothing.
There is the pitfall. I might as well be dead if I do not want to do or have anything. I can want simple things, such as health, a wealth of mind, and a positive outlook on life. I can want enlightenment or something similar. I can want joy and fulfillment in my life. I can want success in a particular field. I can want to be fully myself and nobody but myself. I can want to be totally honest and trustworthy. I can want things that exist outside of time and the material plane.
I can want to not want. Let’s be paradoxical while we still can. I can reject the whole notion of materialism and give root to the idea of contentment. Even if I do not have the biggest television or the snazziest car, I can still be grateful and content with what I have in the present moment and also what I am working towards possessing, like peace of mind. Once we understand that the purpose in life is not to become a wage slave working to sustain an unsustainable lifestyle that will ultimately kill us due to either stress or overwhelming debt, we can strive for something better. I am not against having a lot of money, but I am against the squandering of that money on useless trinkets and bigger televisions.
So instead of going out to the mall wanting, stay at home, save gas, and want intangible qualities that every person most likely wishes to have. Everything we own is pre-garbage anyway.
September 12th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I would posit, though many Americans fill emotional voids with materialism and live for some host of future, “better” possessions, that there are those people who can live very content lives.
Take it from me, Andrew. I was rarely content and rarely happy unless I could best everyone around me. I wasn’t happy with myself unless I was liked by everyone.
But now, I only care how I feel about myself. It has changed my life completely, I kid you not.
Contentment, though, is not something that comes only with time or with effort. It is merely a state of mind, a perspective. It can be gained by choosing to acknowledge the positives and possibilities of your life. It’s a lot easier to lay your head down at night when you know that you’re doing what you can to make yourself happy and that you’re a person that you respect.
It all starts with being happy with yourself. This really isn’t something that you can “gain” or “work towards.” You just have to enjoy what you have while working toward having what you would also enjoy.
Do things you wouldn’t normally do. Go out - Use gas. Want more, but don’t expect it. Try for more, but don’t lust for it. Live life for enjoyment. If a hot tub will bring you enjoyment and contentment from it’s jets and warm water, and not because you are the only one on the block who owns one, then get the hot tub.
There are two kinds of people in the world:
Those who have hot tubs and use them as hot tubs.
and
Those who have hot tubs and don’t know where the “ON” button is.
I think you know exactly where the “ON” button is.
So push it. But you’re a new hot tub user, so you don’t know what to expect. Push it anyway. Get in the hot tub.
It’s a hot tub, damnit. It’s just like life - there are no bad experiences. Just learning ones. Take every experience like a jet in a hot tub - rubbing you one way or another. Maybe one jet rubs you the wrong way. Don’t sit in front of that one.
Move to another.
But for your own sake, don’t sit in the part of the tub with no jets at all.
September 14th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I love your last sentence! Can I quote that?
October 8th, 2008 at 6:22 am
You may want to check out the book, “Enough - Breaking Free from The World of More” by John Naish. I’m in the midst of re-reading it and this entry of yours could be the book’s introduction or epilogue.