Enough?

I am not a minimalist person. Not because I don’t want to be or that I don’t see the value of it, I was just never very good at it. For years I have collected books and even though I would never give up my collection it is to the point now where I have to constantly weigh my choices of if I have space for all the things in my life. Not just physical space, but mental and emotional space as well.

I was reminded of this the other day when I was given the opportunity to acquire a new Samsung Tablet for next to nothing. Naturally I was very tempted and after tinkering with it and realizing how sleek and powerful it was, there was no doubt that this tablet was worth a lot more than I was going to pay for it. But there was something that just didn’t seem right. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. After a few days of thought I finally figured out what the issue was. Now that I am older, I feel like this happens more and more and I am still not very good at recognizing it. So, let me tell you a story that I refer back to in times like this.

Many years ago, prominent writer’s Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse-Five) and Joseph Heller (Catch-22) were at a party that was hosted by a billionaire on Shelter Island, NY. While there Kurt leaned over to Joe and said:

“Joe, how does it make you feel to know that our host only yesterday may have made more money than your novel ‘Catch-22’ has earned in its entire history?”
To which Joe calmly replied “I’ve got something he can never have.”
Kurt playfully asked him “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”

I think about this all the time. I believe that the concept of having enough and knowing when one has enough is truly the key to being happy in this life. Think of all the people you have seen or met who have less than you, but are just as happy as you are. I know that I can think of plenty. What is really interesting is that I know many people who have a lot more than I do and are not nearly as happy as I am… I bet you do to.

There is no doubt that there is a certain kind of fulfillment that comes from acquiring things, I feel that with my book collection. But there is an overflow where it is too much. Too much to care for and too much to care about. This is the point where instead of something making life easier or more joyful it adds more problems and complications. At least in me, this causes Decision Fatigue and wears me out in a way that I cannot shake and it just makes me crazy.

After remembering all of this it was easy to see that this Tablet, although incredible, did not have a place in my life and it was something that I had to pass on. My goal is that when I find myself in the position of choosing between want and need, I will always think back to this story and ask myself “Do I already have enough?” Because so far, I am constantly surprised at how common it is that I think back to that small memory and remind myself that yes, I have enough.

Except for books… I need all of those.