“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with hopes and fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.”
Seneca
Just months ago, many of us were anticipating upcoming events. Exciting things like spring break trips, graduations, weddings, beach trips etc.
We had no clue that in a short time life would come to a grinding halt and we would be forced to spend our time at home.
Spending time at home with the family, playing board games, baking together, making memories! Will the internet still work? Will there be toilet paper? This is the stuff nightmares are made of.
The recent turn of events has highlighted the problem of placing to much importance in the future for our current happiness.
Wouldn’t be great to “rest satisfied” & “want nothing?
Don’t Rely on the Future
If we are constantly looking toward the future for our happiness we face a losing proposition. We are working against basic human nature, the need to always want more.
My kids are perfect examples. There rooms are overflowing with things they “just had to have” that are now collecting dust.
As adults we are not much better, although our wants and desires are often not belongings, but titles, money & power.
Sometimes we are a bit more ruthless about how we achieve these things, going far beyond just saving our weekly allowance. Resorting to deceit, politics, not being true to our core values. Often creating damage that is far more permanent than a dirty room or overflowing closet.
What Do You Want?
We usually start out wanting what someone else already has. Someone we know has a better job, a better car, a better “life”. They seem happy, so we naturally connect the two. If I had x thing I would be y happier.
This is a bad formula.
Like the story I heard about a man whose lifelong dream was to own a Lamborghini. The day came when he was finally able to purchase it. To celebrate he and some friends took the car to a local restaurant.
When their meal was finished, they walked to the parking lot and noticed a crowd of people gathered around the car posing and taking pictures. Furious he scattered them off and returned home.
After that event he could never take the car anywhere, because the whole time it was out of his sight he was worried another crowd would surround the car, potentially damaging it. So now the car of his dreams spends most of the time in his garage.
Not What it Seems…
The same thing happens to us, we base our contentment on some ideal future state. A new job, a new title, a new house, a new car, an exciting trip. Forgetting that these things come with a new set of problems and dissatisfaction’s.
- A new job means new and different stresses.
- A bigger house means different bills and more responsibility.
- More money often means more worries not less.
As the famous philosopher The Notorious B.I.G put it, “Mo money, mo problems”.
It Doesn’t Matter…
How quickly does a job title become meaningless when the economy shuts down?
Does it matter what important people you know when you are relegated to your house?
How important is that salary when you don’t have anywhere to spend the money?
Think about what has been truly important during this time.
- Family and friends that cared about you.
- Your health.
- If you were able to continue to work (even if it was the job you hated.)
Times like these show us how truly fortunate we are and how useless trying to constantly run the rat race of life really is.
Because at the end of the day it does not matter.
You Can be Content Now.
We all have the basics right now to be content. It’s cliché, but if you have your health, a home, food to eat & clothes to wear you really are golden. Add on to that a family, close friends, a job, a vehicle and you are well in front of 99% of the world’s population.
It is Sufficient.
One lesson we all should learn during this unique time is that what we have is sufficient.
Like Seneca says, “…true happiness is to enjoy the present…”, yes even if that is in the middle of a pandemic, “…rest satisfied with what we have for that is sufficient…”
Stop looking to the future for happiness, most of us have all we need to be content right now.
How would it feel to actually “rest satisfied” for once?
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