{"id":3139,"date":"2014-03-31T16:53:40","date_gmt":"2014-03-31T19:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tracyleekarner.com\/?p=3139"},"modified":"2020-10-26T14:23:10","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T14:23:10","slug":"e-is-for-enough-living-well-despite-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tracyrittmueller.com\/2014\/03\/31\/e-is-for-enough-living-well-despite-everything\/","title":{"rendered":"E is for Enough: living well, despite everything"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"When<\/a>
Enough wine?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How much is enough?<\/h1>\n

Americans spend over $2-trillion annually on traditional and alternative healthcare.<\/a>\u00a0And in our never-ending quest for a healthy, happy life,\u00a0we fork over a sizable bit of our income for healthy food and dietary supplements, sports and exercise, therapists and spas. We spend kazillions on pleasures–entertainment, travel, gourmet indulgences… we part with all that money, and yet statistics show that we, as a nation, are neither very healthy<\/a> nor very happy.<\/a>
\nLet me share with you one of the keys to finding a good life<\/strong>. It’s not costly. It is almost too simple for words. It’s this:<\/p>\n

Enough is enough.<\/h2>\n

Or in other words–<\/p>\n

Be content!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It’s impossible to feel well when I am dissatisfied, displeased, resentful, envious of those who have what I want.\u00a0Discontentment is at the root of unhappiness.<\/p>\n

So why do we constantly\u00a0wish for more wealth, more status, more youthful energy, more influence, more say, more wine, more sex, more friends, more flavor, more room, more trinkets, more beauty, more vacations, more love?<\/p>\n

Why should enough not be enough<\/em>?<\/h2>\n

I shall resolve to be reasonable. Let me remember that I don’t need to chase after happiness. Let me understand that if I choose to be content, right here, right now, in my present circumstances, happiness will find me. <\/span>
\nTherefore I will be satisfied with what is sufficient. I will notice all the plentiful abundance in my life, and instead of allowing small pleasures to make me greedier for more, I will choose to be grateful for this<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>goodness<\/em>, knowing that right now<\/em> I have\u00a0enough<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t need more than I need. <\/strong><\/h3>\n

So I will not pursue, or hunt for, or scramble for more. I will still have wants and desires, but I refuse to allow discontentment–mine or anyone else’s–to make my life unreasonable or unmanageable.<\/p>\n

To be satisfied when my basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, rest and kindness are met, is to become liberated:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n