One of humanity's greatest strengths is also one of it's greatest weaknesses imo. The way we appreciate things/the lack of. What I'm saying is we make something awesome and we're happy with it but then we get used to it and bored with it, no matter how amazing it was initially and we feel like we need something better. I see it as more of a curse than a gift but I certainly see both sides. On one hand it pushes us further, to up the bar, to make things the best they can be. One the other hand all of that's for nothing at all if we can never stop, relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. There's literally no point if all the while we want to enjoy something we're unsatisfied because we want to nitpick until the end of time how it "could be better". It's clear that nothing is perfect in this world. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. That's not to say we shouldn't continue to strive to improve things, but in that I feel like it's too easy to only see tomorrow, every day and never properly enjoy today. Which is what matters the most.
Very true. I guess a lot of people throughout time have created great things and then stopped, and rested on their laurels. Got too caught up in the praise they got for a job well done and just stopped there, perhaps thinking they would never be able to do anything better. This gets other people upset so that's why they don't stop... that's why they keep trying to "make it better" but in the end it's about extremes vs. balance. We do need to pause and enjoy the fruits of our labor before we get up and do the next project. Keep going, but enjoy the process. I know some people who are just going through the motions. I hate that so much. People wake up in the morning, get ready for work, go, come home, cook, clean, watch TV then go to bed. That's their life. They're neither happy nor upset with their lot, but they're trapped in it. If I can say one good thing about my life, it's that I never once allowed myself to be in that bad a place. Bottom line, happiness is not a luxury. It's a life sustaining medicine lol. Appreciation is just one of the many forms of happiness.
Good post. Right around the time I turned 50 I had an epiphany. All my life I had been trying to “keep up with the Joneses”. Trying to get the promotion. The perfect job. The raises. Finally I just said, “Fuck it all, I’m done”. And I’ve never been happier. I refuse to be one of those people that is never content. What is the point of life if you never reach that point? I am working on making more money right now, but if I fail, I really don’t care all that much. It was so liberating to come to the realization that I don’t need to make 100K a year. I don’t need to have a $75,000 car. I don’t need it, I don’t want it, and I just don’t give any fucks any more. I’m happy. I have everything I need, and everything I want. There’s no better feeling in the world.