“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle
I wish it were otherwise, but we’re all chasing the next fix.
If it’s not some bright shiny object, we’re transfixed by becoming something or chasing after a vague dream of happiness.
What do you truly need? (This moment?)
Trust me, the answer to that question is made much easier if you’re not bathed in a consumerist modality or living in your head. What you quickly realise is that we take so much for granted and have forgotten how truly special it is to breathe clean air, drink clean water and eat fresh food.
No I mean it. Why do we behave this way?
I suppose what I’m calling for is a renaissance of yesteryear. You know the time where people were genuinely grateful for what they had, and weren’t constantly harping on about the ills of life.
Yes perhaps that’s it.
We need a new movement where we’re willing to acknowledge that however humble or meagre our circumstances, we still have much to be grateful for.
Running alongside that should be an equally robust conversation about the hoarding of wealth — and I don’t just mean money. I’m also thinking about the world’s natural resources.
I don’t know about you, but I find it a cruel world knowing that millions of people die each year in abject poverty when we bear witness every day to immense greed…and yet do nothing about it.
I suppose you’ll think me anti-Capitalist and to an extent I am but it’s more than a label thing. What I find so distressing is that when we’re caught in the play and talking about not having the next fancy gadget or next uber experience, we never stop to think (…at least not for very long) about those people who would give eye teeth for a very small part of what we have.
As a society, I don’t know where we’re headed but one thing I know for sure is that sooner or later the earth will be denuded of its abundance to the point where it will no longer be able to support the 10 billion plus people that are forecast to inhabit it.
Something will have to give!
Living with less?
It’s a start.
But between then and now perhaps take a moment to reflect how lucky we are and how little we need.