Weekly Quote
“Mountain tops are for inspiration and breadth but the fruit is found in the valley.” Ruth Graham
Weekly TimBit – More and more stuff!!!
As we head toward another holiday season I would ask you to consider . . . do you have too much stuff? Does your family have too much stuff? Does your life depend on stuff? I could go on and on.
Stuff, toys and trappings of success. More is better. Bigger is better. Are you measuring your success with all of the tangible possessions that are a testimony to your worth, hard work and value?
Don’t get me wrong – I like stuff, too. The question that needs to be asked however is – if you lost all of your stuff, would you still feel successful? If you had to begin all over again from scratch, would you still believe in yourself and your mission, goals, purpose and life?
Too many people are living in a fantasy world believing that their wealth, address, car, toys and various possessions are symbols of their achievements and success. Most of us have a lot more stuff than we need, will ever use, or can possibly enjoy. I know people who have 5 cars in their garages, 4 homes, enough furniture to outfit a hotel, and very little peace of mind.
Stuff is nice. Stuff makes life more convenient – or does it? Computers simplify our lives. Who ever sold that bill of goods is a genius. I have spent more time plowing through manuals, dealing with computer technicians, trying to recover lost data, and attempting to evaluate all of the information my computer spews out to me on a daily basis than I care to remember. Not to mention hours trying to find my way through the maze of the Internet.
I believe in progress, but I also believe in simplicity. I like toys, but I wish I had all of the cash I have spent on toys in the past 35 years – toys that have broken, rusted, gone out of style, been lost etc.
Why not take an inventory of all of the stuff that you no longer need, use, like or want. It might be an interesting exercise.
My final thought: Stuff is good, too much stuff can be distracting. Toys are fun, but too many toys can cause you to use them only out of guilt. Learning is wise, but what are you using of what you are learning? Pleasure is nice but to immerse yourself only in pleasure will tend to deaden you to the needs, pain and reality of real life and keep in mind that pleasure and happiness are defined differently.
Question for the week
Got too much stuff?
Recommended Reading
The Road to Happiness is Full of Potholes, Yours Truly
Make it a great week,
In His service,
Tim