This week I've been focused on how quickly life passes, and
thinking about the things we will do "some day," as if the
future will magically be more luxurious than the present.
While we can all hope that "some day" things will be more
relaxed and less stressful, I have my doubts.
I recall John Lennon's observation that, "Life is what
happens while you are making other plans" and the oft-
quoted comment that, at the end of life, "no one ever said,
'I sure wish I'd spent more time at the office'." My
belief is that, as a culture, we do too much!
I think there's a useful distinction between ambition and
greed, or between desire and addiction. These may not be
formal distinctions, but I hope you'll bear with me for a
moment.
Ambition and desire, it seems to me, encourage us to be
active, curious, creative and productive. I'm saying that
ambition and desire are not just "good," they are GREAT!
They keep us moving forward, they encourage us to invent
and build, and that's the story of achievement and
satisfaction.
Greed and addiction, however, keep us working long after
the necessity for hard work is over. Greed not only works
us (literally) to death, it prevents us from enjoying the
fruits of our labor along the way. How tragic is that!
Imagine being among the wealthiest people in all of
history, having access to education, travel, medicine,
transportation and entertainment that is the envy of the
world -- and not being able to enjoy it because we want
"more!" Isn't that where some of us find ourselves?
Now, I know it's a delicate and very personal thing. Anyone
who's ever had children, started a business or committed to
any of the other "big things" in life knows how many hours
are required. For many years, I put in 50-80 hours a week,
working full-time while going to graduate school. Trust me,
I remember those long days and sleepless nights! Some things
are important and they require all the time and hard work we
can muster.
So it's not easy to cut back. I understand that. But the
thought of not having time to read, or to exercise, or play
with our children is too high a price to pay for "just a
little bit more." I'm convinced that, as a society, we have
become "addicted" to busy-ness and have succumbed to "greed"
too easily.
I come back to my question, "Have you had a summer yet?"
Have you taken the kids to the beach, climbed a mountain or
played football? Have you read a book in the shade or gone
fishing? How about a nap in a hammock, or reading the
Sunday paper (including the comics) as a family?
thinking about the things we will do "some day," as if the
future will magically be more luxurious than the present.
While we can all hope that "some day" things will be more
relaxed and less stressful, I have my doubts.
I recall John Lennon's observation that, "Life is what
happens while you are making other plans" and the oft-
quoted comment that, at the end of life, "no one ever said,
'I sure wish I'd spent more time at the office'." My
belief is that, as a culture, we do too much!
I think there's a useful distinction between ambition and
greed, or between desire and addiction. These may not be
formal distinctions, but I hope you'll bear with me for a
moment.
Ambition and desire, it seems to me, encourage us to be
active, curious, creative and productive. I'm saying that
ambition and desire are not just "good," they are GREAT!
They keep us moving forward, they encourage us to invent
and build, and that's the story of achievement and
satisfaction.
Greed and addiction, however, keep us working long after
the necessity for hard work is over. Greed not only works
us (literally) to death, it prevents us from enjoying the
fruits of our labor along the way. How tragic is that!
Imagine being among the wealthiest people in all of
history, having access to education, travel, medicine,
transportation and entertainment that is the envy of the
world -- and not being able to enjoy it because we want
"more!" Isn't that where some of us find ourselves?
Now, I know it's a delicate and very personal thing. Anyone
who's ever had children, started a business or committed to
any of the other "big things" in life knows how many hours
are required. For many years, I put in 50-80 hours a week,
working full-time while going to graduate school. Trust me,
I remember those long days and sleepless nights! Some things
are important and they require all the time and hard work we
can muster.
So it's not easy to cut back. I understand that. But the
thought of not having time to read, or to exercise, or play
with our children is too high a price to pay for "just a
little bit more." I'm convinced that, as a society, we have
become "addicted" to busy-ness and have succumbed to "greed"
too easily.
I come back to my question, "Have you had a summer yet?"
Have you taken the kids to the beach, climbed a mountain or
played football? Have you read a book in the shade or gone
fishing? How about a nap in a hammock, or reading the
Sunday paper (including the comics) as a family?
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