I’m always looking at the ways people reinvent themselves and how they live. One of my mantras in life has been “how much is enough”. It seems that most of us never feel like we are enough, or have enough. I’m also clear that it is the very nature of our spirit to grow and want more. What does all this mean?
There was a show on Oprah recently that showed people living in small spaces – very small spaces. And both Nate Booth (the designer) and Oprah kept asking, how much do we really need? It’s a question worth pondering. I’m not recommending that you move into 250 sq feet (unless that really makes you happy!) But, I’d like to suggest that what we really want in life are not material things – or even opportunities or experiences – but rather, they are states of being. What we might think we want is a new car – but, we really are looking for greater Freedom. We might think we want a new dress or home, but what we’re really longing for is a sense of Beauty in our lives.
For those who believe it’s more money or riches they want, consider this story:
A wise, but poor, woman who was crossing the mountains on foot came upon a precious stone and placed it in her pack. The next day she met another traveler who begged her for something to eat. The wise woman opened her bag to reach for some bread, and as she did so, the sun’s rays caught the gemstone, and the hungry traveler gasped with delight, saying, “I am very poor. Won’t you give me that stone?” The wise woman did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the jewel could provide him security for the rest of his life. But after a few days in the mountains, he reversed his trail, and went back in search of the wise woman. Finally, he found her. He handed her back the stone. “I know this gemstone is terribly valuable,” he said. “But I return it in the hope that you can give me something much more precious. Let me have whatever it is within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”
Another clear example of the essence of what we want is in relationships – You’ve all heard it said – , “If you want the perfect partner be the perfect partner.” This is the crux of it: we must have the willingness to be that which we want, to live in integrity with it, and to live as though we already have it. And, we must be unwilling to have something less, while maintaining that paradoxical position of release–being poised to receive and yet not willing things to be different. It’s a delicate balance.
Settling for anything less than your deepest desire means that the universe has no reason to give you what your heart truly desires. The question to ask is: Are you really willing to have it, to live up to it by not being available to something less? Are you ready to live in integrity with your hearts deepest longings? If you are–and when you are–the universe will correspond accordingly.
Feel free to comment on this article. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
