When Is Ít Enough?

“He who knows enough that is enough, will always have enough.” - Lao Tzu

I can’t recall how many times I’ve read this quote, but for some reason, reading it this time around had a different impact on me. It’s almost as if the language suddenly became clear. This reminds me of when I was younger and my mother would often say, “You’ll understand one day when you get older.” As cliché as that might sound, it’s true. Similarly, reading deep philosophical quotes by legends from the past hits me differently each time.

This time, Lao Tzu's message is crystal clear: when one understands when enough is enough, he will always have enough. Otherwise, individuals end up in a never-ending race from one goal to another. Imagine a person climbing a mountain. One who feels content on a small mountain feels equally content as another who climbs the tallest peak.

On one hand, the person who is content with the small mountain achieves contentment much quicker and easier than the one who endures challenges and hardships. It’s not that one feels a greater contentment than the other. The person who climbed the small mountain might stay content for a longer period, whereas the other struggled to achieve a higher climax of contentment. Either way, each journey is defined by the individual, and the path taken matters only to the person embarking on it.

Ultimately, it all comes back to the individual’s journey. Lao Tzu’s teaching, “He who knows enough that is enough, will always have enough,” resonates because each person’s journey is unique.

This reminds me of how life often feels like a never-ending chase for contentment. From one possession to another, having the newest, best, or shiniest phone today will turn into having an outdated tool a few years down the road. Regardless of material possessions, it all has been created by mankind, thus it depends on mankind to fill the void of contentment. But depending on external sources for happiness is like depending on a radio channel to find joy. One day, that radio channel will no longer broadcast, and then what will one do?

It becomes critical to find contentment from within, not from external sources. Material things are nice and enjoyable, but they are also temporary. Like sailing with the wind, there will come a time when the wind stops, and it’s then important to be able to sail without it. If one waits around for the wind to move the ship, they might never make it to land.

Instead, if one relies on oneself to sail the boat by physical force, choice, and decisions, sight of land might appear on the horizon. When the wind comes, it’s a nice bonus, but depending on oneself is crucial for moving forward.

Too often have I tried to find contentment outside of myself, finding one breadcrumb after another. It feels like the donkey chasing a carrot on a stick, idealizing the joy of eating the carrot instead of finding one on the ground.

Therefore, it has come to my attention that all my emotions and experiences reside in how I interpret the world. Imagine 1,000 people watching a movie; each person will have a unique experience of that movie. One could feel sadness, fear, anger, resentment, joy, appreciation— the entire spectrum of emotions could be present. The question then becomes, which emotions does one seek to experience?

Reflections

1. Out of all the feelings you’ve felt in the past, which one do you desire to feel more of?

I’ve defaulted to sorrow, feeling sorry for myself for too long. I know what it feels like, and the only reason why it’s still there is because of the habit of going back to what’s familiar. Striding away from familiar territory requires a desire to change and the encouragement to build a different default base.

It reminds me of a bird’s nest location. If one day it woke up and kept experiencing rain and thunder year after year, it’s the bird's fault for not relocating. The weather will occur, and only when the bird decides to move will it experience something entirely different. In the same way, defaulting to certain emotions is a choice, and desiring something different requires change.

Until next time, take care!