c. s. lewis, the chronicles of narnia author, once wrote, “our desires are not too strong, but too weak. we are half-hearted creatures, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. we are far too easily pleased.”
we live lives that are too easily pleased. too often, we rely on possessions and money to satisfy our heart’s desires. advertisers have made a living out of convincing us that the secret to a fulfilled life is the possession of more stuff.
but while we are settling for the pleasure of material possessions, is it possible that we are missing out on something better? is it possible that we are missing things that would bring even more satisfaction and more pleasure to our lives? are our lives destined for something greater than material acquisitions? are we settling for something less than the very best?
since becoming minimalist and shifting my life’s focus away from possessions, i have begun to notice how much of my life was wasted chasing “stuff.” if i wasn’t working to earn the money to buy more things, i was researching my next purchase, reading advertisements, shopping at the store, or managing the possessions already in my home. i now consider all of it time wasted that i can never get back.
don’t settle for less than the best for the only life you get to live. consider these five steps to live a life that strives for the very best:
meditate more often – too many people haphazardly live their life. they become so involved in the day-to-day meanderings of life that they are no longer able to visualize anything different. but wise people withdraw from the mundane patterns of life to meditate. in this solitude, the propaganda of madison avenue can be better recognized, the values of our lives can be better assessed, and the course of our lives can be newly charted. withdraw. often.
love relationships. few things bring greater joy to the heart than honest, loving relationships with others. live a transparent life – there is just no sense wasting your time on this earth pretending to be something you are not. as the depth and width of your relationships grow, you will surely find that living life inside the four walls of your home managing all your stuff wasn’t really all that satisfying. at least, not compared to true relationships with others.
live a humble life. humble people realize that they don’t have all the answers. therefore, they ask questions. and when we ask questions, we find answers. notice the people around you and ask questions. do you have a co-worker or neighbor who always seems to be joyful, full of life? have they found something you may have missed? suppress your pride long enough to ask the simple question, “how come you are so satisfied with life?” you just may hear something you’ve missed all along
learn to appreciate the invisible. albert einstein said, “not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” there are invisible things in this universe that will bring far greater joy and satisfaction to our lives than the trinkets on sale at your local department store. hope, peace, love… learn to appreciate the value of those things more and your trinkets less.
don’t be afraid to flip life upside-down. some of the most fulfilling moments in my life have been times when life has been flipped upside-down. rather than always rushing to get on top, to acquire more, or to impress others, take time to help someone else get on top. give time and energy to meet the needs of another person (rather than expecting everyone to meet yours). when we intentionally turn the tables and serve another human being, we begin to get a bigger picture of what our life could actually become and accomplish. and we start to see that it can be greater than simply acquiring and managing a storehouse of shiny things.
today, i wish you the very best.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yup, CS Lewis is one of my main guys. Thanks for your post reminding us to live humbly. I’ve been practicing making a point of giving things away this month.
i am 55 and have been through several periods of minimalism and clutter, debt and solvency, turmoil and stability. what you said about the time spent researching purchases and shopping hit home. you don’t get it back. if you must shop and buy, make sure it is worth it. (it probably isn’t.)
I really like the idea that dreaming too big is not the problem, but dreaming too small is. We are all too easily placated by distractions and taught to undervalue some of the simplest but most powerful things available to all of us.
I wonder how much time we have wasted researching, stalking and procuring things. That time could have been spent doing something so much more worthwhile.
I’ve always dreamed small, and now i am wondering if im just selling myself short.
Where did you get the quote from? Is it part of a larger article?
{ 1 trackback }