Captain Michael: There is a word that can be surprisingly difficult to say.
Enough.
Not because we do not know what it means.
Because
There is a word that can be surprisingly difficult to say.
Enough.
Not because we do not know what it means.
Because we are rarely certain when we have reached it.
There is always something else.
A little more money.
A little more success.
A little more recognition.
A little more security.
One more accomplishment before we allow ourselves to be satisfied.
Lao Tzu wrote:
“He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.”
That may be one of the simplest ideas in Taoism.
And one of the hardest to live.
Because much of the world around us depends upon convincing us that what we have is insufficient.
Our house could be bigger.
Our boat could be newer.
Our bank account could be larger.
Our lives could somehow be more impressive.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve our circumstances.
But there is a difference between wanting something and needing it before we permit ourselves to be content.
Living aboard a boat teaches this lesson rather efficiently.
There is only so much room.
Eventually, every new thing brought aboard requires something else to move, disappear, or get thrown overboard.
Life may not be much different.
We can fill it so completely with wanting what comes next that there is no room left to appreciate what has already arrived.
Maybe contentment is not what happens when we finally acquire everything we want.
Maybe it begins when we recognize that this moment, this life, this morning—
might already be enough.
#Taoism, #LaoTzu, #TheWatercourseWay, #Enough, #Contentment, #Simplicity, #Wisdom, #SailingLife, #LifeAfloat, #LiveaboardLife, #Philosophy, #CaptainMichael
Captain Michael: There is a word that can be surprisingly difficult to say. Enough. Not because we do not know what it means. Because we
There is a word that can be surprisingly difficult to say. Enough. Not because we do not know what it means. Because we are rarely certain when we have reached it. There is always something else. A little more money. A little more success. A little more recognition. A little more security. One more accomplishment before we allow ourselves to be satisfied. Lao Tzu wrote: “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” That may be one of the simplest ideas in Taoism. And one of the hardest to live. Because much of the world around us depends upon convincing us that what we have is insufficient. Our house could be bigger. Our boat could be newer. Our bank account could be larger. Our lives could somehow be more impressive. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve our circumstances. But there is a difference between wanting something and needing it before we permit ourselves to be content. Living aboard a boat teaches this lesson rather efficiently. There is only so much room. Eventually, every new thing brought aboard requires something else to move, disappear, or get thrown overboard. Life may not be much different. We can fill it so completely with wanting what comes next that there is no room left to appreciate what has already arrived. Maybe contentment is not what happens when we finally acquire everything we want. Maybe it begins when we recognize that this moment, this life, this morning— might already be enough. #Taoism, #LaoTzu, #TheWatercourseWay, #Enough, #Contentment, #Simplicity, #Wisdom, #SailingLife, #LifeAfloat, #LiveaboardLife, #Philosophy, #CaptainMichael
There is a word that can be surprisingly difficult to say. Enough. Not because we do not know what it means. Because we are rarely certain when we have reached it. There is always something else. A little more money. A little more success. A little more recognition. A little more security. One more accomplishment before we allow ourselves to be satisfied. Lao Tzu wrote: “He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.” That may be one of the simplest ideas in Taoism. And one of the hardest to live. Because much of the world around us depends upon convincing us that what we have is insufficient. Our house could be bigger. Our boat could be newer. Our bank account could be larger. Our lives could somehow be more impressive. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve our circumstances. But there is a difference between wanting something and needing it before we permit ourselves to be content. Living aboard a boat teaches this lesson rather efficiently. There is only so much room. Eventually, every new thing brought aboard requires something else to move, disappear, or get thrown overboard. Life may not be much different. We can fill it so completely with wanting what comes next that there is no room left to appreciate what has already arrived. Maybe contentment is not what happens when we finally acquire everything we want. Maybe it begins when we recognize that this moment, this life, this morning— might already be enough. #Taoism, #LaoTzu, #TheWatercourseWay, #Enough, #Contentment, #Simplicity, #Wisdom, #SailingLife, #LifeAfloat, #LiveaboardLife, #Philosophy, #CaptainMichael
