#conquer self

"The more pleasures a man captures, the more masters he will have to serve."  -- Seneca

There’s a reason they’re called, “the trappings of life.” That’s not to say you can’t or shouldn’t have nice stuff. You just can’t let your stuff own you. Or define you. You can’t be bothered if you have it and then lose it. No attachments. The people that get trapped are the people that can’t live without their stuff. They need it. They feed off it. They’re keeping up with the Jones’s. That’s a fool’s game. Be better than that.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to achieve greatness; we should all aspire to that end. What’s important, though, is that we're pursuing a purposeful life, not a superficial life. As we progress through life and achieve some success we have to keep our desires in check. Life's journey comes with inevitable (mostly empty) distractions; some harder to ignore than others. We may find ourselves succumbing to these temptations in the hopes that they'll make us feel better or even bring happiness. And they will, but it's a fleeting and false sense of happiness; which ultimately leaves us wanting more. And a nasty cycle ensues.

"...there is nothing wrong with enjoying the good things life has to offer, as long as we are careful in the manner in which we enjoy them. In particular, we must be ready to give up the good things without regret if our circumstances should change. "  -- William B. Irvine

Ultimately, if we want to have a happy and meaningful life, we must overcome our insatiability for material things. We have to check our desires and appreciate what we have now.

“I ask not for any crown But that which all may win; Nor try to conquer any world Except the one within.”

~Louisa May Alcott

I count him braver who conquers his desires than him who conquers his

enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.

*** Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC) Greek Philosopher ***

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Most of us have average intelligence and mind sets. Discipline and perseverance can allow us to reap the full capacity of our brains. Some Thoughts “He who lives without discipline dies without honor.” An Icelandic Proverb “Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage.” Thucydides “The first and greatest victory is to conquer self.”…