A man can gain the entire world and be a miserable wretch. A man can also have very little to nothing and be serenely content. Why is this?? The lust and desire to acquire more never ends. Is there gratefulness in gaining more material possessions?? If I was grateful for what I already have there wouldn’t be a need in possessing something else. I would be content with what I have and wouldn’t have to seek out something that’s “better.” Gratitude is one simple way of removing lust and desire. Don’t be jealous of what your neighbor has. Don’t be jealous of his wife, his kids, house, car, boat. Whatever it is. Don’t be jealous. Be grateful for what you have. Life can be greener on your side of the fence when you take care of your own lawn. Stop comparing. If your own lawn isn’t green, whose fault is it?? I’m not going to chase after a material thing that takes an entire lifetime to achieve and be discontent and disappointed in the end when obtaining it. Some people will chase after that one thing and never get it. All that sacrifice and hard work to be let down towards the end. Who’s going to suffer and be a victim in the process?? Is it going to be your wife, husband, kids, best friend?? Whoever it is, don’t let them become collateral damage. People are valuable. You can’t put a price on life. Enjoy the journey. Make the most out of what you can while you can. We can miss out years of our life trying to possess things. Yes, I need a job to make a living. Yes, I need a car to drive and a home to live in. I choose to not live beyond the means of living simply. I’m happy with the car I drive. I don’t have to be driving a Porsche or exotic foreign sport car. I’m blessed to have a roof over my head and having running water electricity. Sometimes we really need to just stop everything that we’re doing and think about how blessed we really are. There’s people in third world countries who are starving, homeless and have no hope of removing themselves from that terrible situation. I’m not sure what’s more sad, a third world citizen that’s more happy and content with what he has or a first world citizen who commits suicide because of feeling so hopeless regardless of all the things he possesses. You can’t buy contentment. You can’t buy peace. It’s something you cultivate yourself. You’re not going to find it in things and material possessions. Immanuel Kant said, “We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can without.” I can have “nothing” and be the richest man in the world.