Why Do You Want More?
Our minds seem to be obsessed with the concept of MORE.
No matter how much money we have, we’d like to have more. No matter how much strength and stamina we have, we’d like to have more. No matter how many possessions we’ve accumulated, we often want more.
When our basic needs are being met, do we really NEED more?
You can make lots of rational arguments about the benefit of obtaining more. If we have more money, we can live more comfortably and provide a good atmosphere for our family. We can offer our children a better education.
Perhaps we can own a car that is more reliable and safer to drive. If we save more money, we will be prepared for emergencies that may arise in the future. In these instances, more can be beneficial and add to the quality of our lives.
However, I’ve found that it is the rare person who doesn’t get caught up in the concept of MORE, even when more is totally unnecessary. The problem with MORE is that striving for it leads to stress. If we’re honest, we will admit that the obsession for more often takes us away from peace, and away from our enjoyment of the present moment.
When you come from the position of wanting more, you are in essence saying to yourself that where you are now is not sufficient. Happiness or fulfillment will come when you attain MORE. Of course, once you attain MORE, what do you want? MORE!
Throughout the world, many people are facing very difficult economic challenges. In some instances, people don’t have enough money to pay for food or shelter. In other cases, even when basic needs are being met, people are not able to provide themselves and their families with their desired standard of living. It is only natural to want more in these situations, and I am not suggesting otherwise.
What I’m inviting you to do is identify those areas where you might be seeking MORE without really needing it. I’m inviting you to consider if there are any areas where the pursuit of MORE is causing you stress.
The mind loves to play with the concept of MORE. Yet this is a game that borders on the ridiculous at times. We now have situations in sports where professional athletes, making millions of dollars a year, claim to be insulted (and unappreciated) if they are offered 10 million dollars a year when one of their teammates is making 15 million dollars.
How much money is enough?
So many businesses are based on the principle of MORE, of continued growth. If we made 10 million this year, we should seek to make 12 million next year. Says who? Perhaps the stress we need to put on our employees and suppliers to make that extra money isn’t worth it.
The quest for more often has negative consequences. We push employees to do more with less, leaving them burned out and frustrated. Their family relationships may suffer. When we push ourselves to exercise more, by running longer and longer distances, or lifting more and more weight, we inevitably get physical injuries. What are we proving by playing this game of MORE?
I know very well that some say the negative consequences are outweighed by the positive benefits one gets from achieving more. There is a price to pay for more and some may say the price is well worth paying. If you’re perfectly content with your pursuit of MORE, there’s no reason to change.
When we question the pursuit of MORE, we aren’t being lazy. We can have full, busy (yet peaceful) lives without striving for more all the time. We can still accomplish great things.
As for me, I’ve begun to question the need to obtain MORE in certain areas of my life. I no longer want MORE if it means stress and a disconnection from the present moment.
What I want more of is peace. I can only have that if I am vigilant when my mind tries to drag me again and again into its silly game of MORE.
– Jeff Keller
© 2008