Want Nothing, Have Everything

The Daily Stoic for August 29th. “Want Nothing, Have Everything”.

“No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 123.3

Today’s stoic actually discusses a very interesting topic. I have mentioned before about how being rich for me is not about having money, but about having time.

In that sense, while we cannot have all the time we want, can we want less time? I hardly think so. Unlike money, time is limited. And the longer you live, the more you become aware of how precious and scarce it is.

Want Nothing, Have Everything

There isn’t much that I feel I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
— Animal Collective, “My Girls”.

However, when I considered the question from a merely financial perspective (money, things, cars, houses…), I realized I haven’t thought about this question for a long time…

What do I want?

Well, my laptop is showing some signs of age, so it would be great replacing it with a new one. Perhaps, instead of that, I would love to get a really good iPad Pro, as I am considering how to use it as my only working device while I travel… But to be honest, my current laptop-iPad Pro combo is serving me quite well, so not something I really need or want.

And that’s all. I cannot really think of anything physical that I really want or need. Perhaps in the future, I would love having a big house by the sea with a piano to play again Bosques de mi Mente’s music. But that’s more like a wish for the future than an actual need.

Hence, to be honest, there’s nothing I want right now. All the things I desire are just more time to be with my beloved ones, being healthy, and … little else. In that sense, I think I have managed to get into a good stoic state of mind regarding physical belongings.

Conclusion

Today’s Daily Stoic, “Want Nothing, Have Everything”, discusses if the richest person in the world is the one that has more money and properties or the one who wants less stuff. Probably, the second one is the winner :).