What is the measure of a truly meaningful, beneficial life experience? Is swimming 50 laps better for your health than swimming 40 laps? Is having 30 friends come to a party better than having 3 close friends whom you can trust with your most vulnerable feelings? Is working at a job that your parents and community sanction more satisfying than following a life-long dream profession?
A friend told me about studying with a Taoist martial arts teacher. When I looked up this person online, the video of his work looked profound, but the blurb under the video boasted of his ranking among of the top 100 spiritual people in the world. That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Can spiritual nature be quantified? Does a ranking give credence to the verity of spirituality?
We can focus our attention, instead, on the quality of an experience. Sometimes more is not better or even relevant. Striving for quantity can distract us from the essential goodness of a person, relationship or event. It can feel empty and insatiable.
The next time that you are tempted into the competitive world of racing for more take a step back and ask yourself if that feels gratifying. Or, is there another path that speaks of your true longing that can’t be measured on a scale but is viscerally inspiring and life-affirming?
