Menedem, or Menedemus, was a Greek philosopher who lived between the third and fourth centuries BC. I found this quote in Tolstoy's Calendar of Wisdom, a book I've talked about here before and I thought it was just beautiful. It sounds so simple and yet we seem to struggle with this concept. We look for happiness in material things, in over-indulgence, in our own discontent which leads on to more, more and more. More everything. I think sometimes we forget how much we already have, and what a blessing it is. There is much to be said for an attitude of gratitude!
I remember travelling when I was young. For our honeymoon, my husband and I visited family in South America. These lovely people welcomed us into their home (which consisted of two rooms and a compacted dirt floor). They shared their wonderful food with us and invited more friends and family around to be with us. It was a very special time. Later, we met an uncle who sold jewellery in a popular tourist market. He wasn't well off by any means but he gifted me a beautiful necklace which he had made. I still have it and wear it often.
Another time I travelled to a remote village in the Middle East. Again, these people had very little but they were so generous and offered such warm hospitality to us. We could only arrive at their village by boat, because it was surrounded by water and cliffs so high no road could pass.
I'm not saying that these people didn't want for more than what they had, but in my experience they were so welcoming and generous, even though they had little to share. There really is a lot of truth in Menedem's words that true happiness lies in not wanting more than we already have. Being not only happy, but deeply content and grateful for what we have, is a true blessing and I think we (and I'm really talking to myself here!) tend to forget that in our world of consumerism and passing trends. What do you think? Do you agree with Menedem's definition of happiness?
Have a lovely week and thank you for stopping by!
At some point in my 30's I became aware of a personal phenomenon...I often bought things for a life I didn't have. I thought back to friends and family who had spending habits that were similar to mine at the time and realized that to a person they were buying things for what they wished their life was like. It was a game changer. It didn't cure me of consuming en masse but it did teach me to think long and hard about why I wanted something. Getting my spending under control came second to that realization though, so I always start there when I feel antsy and want that elusive something...I ask myself if what I want is for the life I have or the life I wish I had. Often enough it's the second and therefore I can both squelch that unrest and find something in the life I have at present that makes me quite happy.
ReplyDeleteI was exactly the same Terri, and still struggle with this now. It's why I love these little quotes because, for me, they are like a little reminder to stick to my plan, do what's right for me and my family and not be swayed by that "elusive something." Finding contentment with what we have - why is that so hard??
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