When Enough is Enough
“Why is it you can never get enough of that which you don’t need yet, you always yearn for more…” — Jim Rohn
There is an insatiable hunger inside always seeking more: more love; more fun; more entertainment; more money; more sex; more good feelings; more adrenalin; more things; more clothes; more travel; more golf; more work; more accomplishment; more fame; more religion; more, more, more…anything to keep your mind bogged down; anything to keep it from focusing on what you really want; anything to keep you in fear. However, going after these things is our simplistic way of filling the emptiness, which is in our soul. Our belief is, “If we get more ‘stuff’ this empty feeling will go away.” So, we do our best to accumulate more only to find with all we accumulate the emptiness is still there; it has not been filled. The fear of not having anymore is also the
This “hole” if you will, cannot be filled with anything you can acquire or achieve here on this planet it can however, be filled by looking inside yourself. That is because the answer is not on the outside; the answer is in you; AND truly, this is the answer. Most look everywhere but within. It is as if looking within is off bounds; yet therein lay the source for that which you seek. There is a cost involved in obtaining and finding this source. The cost requires that you take the time to search your heart; for it is only in the heart you will find that which is sought. A proper search of the heart requires studying the mining process of the heart then getting good at mining out what is in the heart bringing it forth to where you live.
If the accumulation of fame, money, accomplishment, etc, brought this fulfillment you would not have actors, singers, entertainers, business moguls, lottery winners, inheritors of fortunes as well as many others committing suicide. The ability to amass wealth or fame does not keep one from committing suicide for there comes quite the shock when they lose their wealth, never achieve wealth OR and most important, find that all the wealth and affluence DOES NOT make or bring happiness with it. What they thought would fill the longing did not therefore, where do they now turn? What else on this planet is going to make that longing go away? Since it appears there is nowhere else to turn they see life as a futile journey and want to end the longing or the suffering they feel from the emptiness in their heart.
I am not speaking from knowledge gained by reading a book or even from talking to others, although that is very real. I speak from living out this very experience. I had married the girl of my dreams and had accomplished much in my life before I was twenty one years old. By this age, I was a licensed contractor; the youngest ever in our state. Of the models available when we purchased our first home, we were able to afford the largest having four bedrooms, located on a corner lot in an upper scale neighborhood; it was totally fenced, had a two car garage, sunken living room, two sided fireplace, covered patio and we installed a pool. We had two brand new cars with savings in the bank. We were the youngest couple by far in our neighborhood as most were in their mid-thirties to early fifties.
It may seem amazing to you to think we had all of this yet, I was not happy. I had thought by accomplishing more, by accumulating more, my longings would be begin to subside, but they did not. As I thought about this vicious cycle, working until I was sixty five or seventy only to have life end after all of the effort, it seemed a futile journey with no real reason to go on for another forty years.
Fortunately, I was able to talk with my wife. She was the balance. She was the one that helped me form, my first mastermind. From the beginning of our relationship we had worked on developing the ability to talk about everything. In the beginning of my depression, she thought I was simply venting because of having to deal with the volatile situation at work between my father and I; as well as dealing with the clients and employees normal to anyone in business. Then, she realized the depth of the depression went further. I told her how I saw no end to this futile longing other than to work and die. Wow, I thought, if this is what life is all about I am not interested in going any farther! Now, I found myself at nearly twenty three, wanting to commit suicide. I thought about it over and over. The emptiness of working, of achievement, and the accumulation of STUFF was simply not enough of a reason to continue for another forty or so years. At the time the only one I didn’t want to hurt was my wife. I didn’t want to leave her but moving forward with what seemed a futile existence was not holding much water either.
I was looking everywhere but in my own heart. Over the next two years I tried reading the Bible but it seemed as if I was reading a letter written to someone else. None of it made sense. What I was doing was trying religion. I am not saying the Bible is a religion for I don’t believe it is BUT people have formed a lot of religions from it. I happen to believe all religious “stuff” is just that: religion. By the way, Karl Marx was right when he said religion, is the opiate of the mind. It truly is. I was so frustrated, so angry I even threw the Bible my Mom had bought me against the fireplace. My wife was appalled. I saw no answer.
Fortunately, Solomon answered this question for us in the book of Ecclesiastes. He wrote this little book of 12 chapters because he, above all people, had accumulated more than anyone else ever would on this planet. He was given wisdom and knowledge beyond that which any had been granted previously yet, in all he had there was no peace. So, he wrote about his experiences of growing in wisdom; of gaining knowledge; his accumulation of wealth, as well as his many wives and mistresses (concubines the Bible calls them)…none of which brought peace and contentment to him. He saw it all as emptiness like the chasing of the wind. In other words what was the use…what was the purpose…why the effort? He shared the answer with all of us in Ecclesiastes 12:13…it is not about religion, it is about having a relationship with God. Religion isn’t the answer, relationship is…
Each and every one of us has something unique, which only we can share with the world. In order to find this we must look inside; we must develop our gifts then share them with the world. It isn’t just about what we gain or accumulate but what we become while sharing with others our good fortune. We must become first, and then share. The question remains: are we going to work through all of our issues to become all we were meant to be? Are we then going to share this with everyone in order to brighten their lives? Or, are we going to give up, given in, sell out? The choice is ours to make. Look inside…learn to focus and you will find the answer for it is there…it is in every heart…
Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…
Respectfully,
Rick Cox