Don’t mind the contradiction- in a world where we are oversold the value of more and undersold the value of less, its time to stop missing the wood for the trees and soak in the abundance of less.
A syndrome fanned by our reluctance to look up from our ledger of lack as we seek perennial validation in this Republic of Not Enough. If perfect (in lieu of being content) is the default expectation dancing in our heads all the time, it is an unattainable destination that is rarely reached taking us down the rabbit hole of wanting more in comparison to someone else, as what you are whining about is that you never have enough.
Be that it may be in the form of more likes or shares on your post, the more’ connections’ you have virtually, the more material possessions we have, the more commitments we take on..all dictated by a flawed mechanism that signals more would mean and translate to happiness, importance, popularity, richness etc..alas, how wrong we are!
Reality is that the more we are sold, isn’t delivering the more we want.
Possessions and material things don’t equate to happiness. Deeper, meaningful relationships aren’t built on likes, shares or comments. Importance and popularity aren’t found in an hectic schedule and an overflowing inbox.
The only road that leads to the ‘more that matters’ is ‘less’. What we can define as Essentialism. Less but better. Separating the trivial many from the vital few. Lesser things but more experiences. Fewer shares but deeper and more meaningful conversations. Less busyness but more purpose.
“No ego can last for long without the need for more. Therefore, wanting keeps the ego alive much more than having. The ego wants to want more than it wants to have. And so the shallow satisfaction of having is always replaced by more wanting.”
To quote Holly Black from The Cruel Prince, “Desire is an odd thing. As soon as it’s sated, it transmutes. If we receive golden thread, we desire the golden needle.”