Wow! What a read! I’ve been up many night, thinking of how to make my life better and my kids’ lives better. Stressed out about being a single mom, but still pushing. Single over four years and don’t have time to date, it’s too difficult. I’m working three jobs! I’m a teacher and I’m stressed that it’s not enough money. But, I love what I do. So I work summers at camps and then I have a business I do from home to make ends meet. I just happens to open this email (I took two weeks off email and such to rest, haha of stress I guess!) but when I opened the email I felt everything you say and wrote. THANK YOU for this. It resonated with me on so many levels, the owners of the Bugattis (many where I live) the many pressures of how women’s bodies are suppose to be (mom of 4, ahem…) and the “quick you can make so much just so this!!!” ads that are always popping up! I feel like I’m in a video game! So thank you for making me smile, making me feel less alone and making me stop and remember the why!!!
Mariah thank you for writing up this comment! You're doing great! I wish I had your energy. I feel like I can barely make it through 6 hours of work without getting tired.
Hmm… don’t think I don’t feel that! But fear of failing and the positive reward of success as proving others wrong always drives me! Also? It might be your job (if you have another job besides writing?) And remember… you’re not stuck where you are, you’re not a tree. My favorite quote of all time. Because it triggers that instant awareness of the freedoms to do what we want! ;) Keep me updated on your changes! I know they’ll be great!!! Signing off from North Carolina! ;)
Meditation! Seriously. Lust is just a manifestation of the ego process. "I want more of that for me." Meditation has helped me quiet that egomaniac in my mind. Just being content with what I have is important and not just being content, but understanding that I'm blessed to have someone who loves me.
I believe Gretchen Rubin in her Happiness Project featured Bhutan, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, but also one of the happiest. Happiness is an inside job.
Such great thoughts. Whenever I travel to other poorer countries the first thing I notice is how simple everyone lives, and how much happier they seem than people in the US who have everything and anything we could ever want.
I ask myself, why would this person who has apparently achieved a ludicrous amount of wealth and success at a young age spend so much time lurking around on crappy social media sites trying to sell dreams to other people? Because they're just so generous by nature? Maybe, but more likely they're not particularly wealthy or successful at all, and it's just a marketing gimmick to get you to buy something, or at least build a follower count.
Also, the people I know who seem most happy barely go online at all.
A lot of us suffer from anxiety because of our constant thinking about the future. We're always thinking about the future and how we're not doing enough to have in future what we desire and have artificially created as the ideal life for us in our heads.
There's always another rung on the ladder. If you're always looking up for the next one or, worse still, taking your pleasure from looking down then you'll never look around and enjoy the present.
Nice work. And welcome to getting older. As the ancient philosophers have advised us for a long time, as we mature, we understand the challenges of constantly wanting rather than enjoying what we have. “When in desire, I desire satisfaction; when in satisfaction, I desire desire.”
People have been working out that challenge since there have been people. Good to read that you’ve found your answers. Enjoy!
You are right. You cannot live in a state of chasing (desire) all the time. And the goal posts keep moving because the people seem richer and richer and hotter and hotter.
We are running a race to nowhere in life. That does not mean we should not pursue a better life, but knowing “how much is enough for you” is essential, even though it is challenging to figure out.
There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less. - G.K. Chesterton
This short story, which I am sure you have read before, sums it up nicely:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.
I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Sometimes I wish I could like the same post multiple times...
Thanks for reading Gloria
Agreed 🙌🏼
that's the one good thing about medium haha
Wow! What a read! I’ve been up many night, thinking of how to make my life better and my kids’ lives better. Stressed out about being a single mom, but still pushing. Single over four years and don’t have time to date, it’s too difficult. I’m working three jobs! I’m a teacher and I’m stressed that it’s not enough money. But, I love what I do. So I work summers at camps and then I have a business I do from home to make ends meet. I just happens to open this email (I took two weeks off email and such to rest, haha of stress I guess!) but when I opened the email I felt everything you say and wrote. THANK YOU for this. It resonated with me on so many levels, the owners of the Bugattis (many where I live) the many pressures of how women’s bodies are suppose to be (mom of 4, ahem…) and the “quick you can make so much just so this!!!” ads that are always popping up! I feel like I’m in a video game! So thank you for making me smile, making me feel less alone and making me stop and remember the why!!!
Mariah thank you for writing up this comment! You're doing great! I wish I had your energy. I feel like I can barely make it through 6 hours of work without getting tired.
Hmm… don’t think I don’t feel that! But fear of failing and the positive reward of success as proving others wrong always drives me! Also? It might be your job (if you have another job besides writing?) And remember… you’re not stuck where you are, you’re not a tree. My favorite quote of all time. Because it triggers that instant awareness of the freedoms to do what we want! ;) Keep me updated on your changes! I know they’ll be great!!! Signing off from North Carolina! ;)
How did you go from wanting every girl you saw to being happily married? Asking for a friend...(for real!)
Moving to Spain from the U.S. has shown me that contentment with life is really missing in the U.S.
Meditation! Seriously. Lust is just a manifestation of the ego process. "I want more of that for me." Meditation has helped me quiet that egomaniac in my mind. Just being content with what I have is important and not just being content, but understanding that I'm blessed to have someone who loves me.
Perfect. Thank you!
I believe Gretchen Rubin in her Happiness Project featured Bhutan, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, but also one of the happiest. Happiness is an inside job.
Less is more
This is written with such high EQ 🫶🏽
Such great thoughts. Whenever I travel to other poorer countries the first thing I notice is how simple everyone lives, and how much happier they seem than people in the US who have everything and anything we could ever want.
I ask myself, why would this person who has apparently achieved a ludicrous amount of wealth and success at a young age spend so much time lurking around on crappy social media sites trying to sell dreams to other people? Because they're just so generous by nature? Maybe, but more likely they're not particularly wealthy or successful at all, and it's just a marketing gimmick to get you to buy something, or at least build a follower count.
Also, the people I know who seem most happy barely go online at all.
A lot of us suffer from anxiety because of our constant thinking about the future. We're always thinking about the future and how we're not doing enough to have in future what we desire and have artificially created as the ideal life for us in our heads.
Also, it is a nice meta touch using the dreamy lady as the thumbnail for this.
There's always another rung on the ladder. If you're always looking up for the next one or, worse still, taking your pleasure from looking down then you'll never look around and enjoy the present.
It might be too late before you realize this.
I needed to read this!!! Thank you :)
talk about a thirst trap
Nice work. And welcome to getting older. As the ancient philosophers have advised us for a long time, as we mature, we understand the challenges of constantly wanting rather than enjoying what we have. “When in desire, I desire satisfaction; when in satisfaction, I desire desire.”
People have been working out that challenge since there have been people. Good to read that you’ve found your answers. Enjoy!
You are right. You cannot live in a state of chasing (desire) all the time. And the goal posts keep moving because the people seem richer and richer and hotter and hotter.
We are running a race to nowhere in life. That does not mean we should not pursue a better life, but knowing “how much is enough for you” is essential, even though it is challenging to figure out.
There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less. - G.K. Chesterton
This short story, which I am sure you have read before, sums it up nicely:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.
I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”