WHAT IS ENOUGH?

“If you don’t regard what you have as enough, you will never be happy if you rule the world.” – Seneca

Ryan Holiday in his book writes a conversation between Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller (author of Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse-Five). They were at a party where Vonnegut chaffed at Heller that the billionaire, who held the party, made more money in a week than both his books would make in his lifetime.

“But I have something he doesn’t”, Hellen said, “I know what is enough.”

Often, we find ourselves and others complaining about our situations. We want to live with more money, good resistance, reputations, legacy, and other gestures of the world. Only if I lived there; a sum of money; I was a few inches tall, only if… and the others leftovers.

Comparison is the thief of joy. The modern world of media shows us luxury life, with narcissists and motivational gurus always telling us to earn more, want more, do more, and eat more, everything is limitless. But despite having all that most of us find ourselves miserable not knowing what is enough for us.

Having enough of everything makes our life a lot easier, not just in financial ways, but with enough words to live by, and friends to have. Living a hundred and thousand years would still be the same if one weren’t satisfied with his possessions in his 20s. Fewer friends to have, some words to say and live by, and enough wealth to spend life is all that is required to be happy. Knowledge of your needs and wants helps to determine goals and achieve them. We know whom we want around, where we should be, and what to say.

‘Poverty isn’t having more but wanting less’, that’s what Seneca said. A job that satisfies the mind is not often much but always enough. Many of us often take for granted what we have for now by wanting what we could’ve had. We should limit our desires and needs, as Buddha says, and live a life with less than enough. Enough to say and listen, do and don’t, read and write, work and rest, everything should be put down to its limit. Then only we can achieve peace in our lives.

Don’t spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember things you possess now are those you craved for - Epicurus.