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Something people FAIL to understand

Many people fail to understand that, as Confucius once stated, "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

Okay, maybe life isn't as simple as Confucius makes it out to be. Regardless, his sage advice still holds to a certain extent in our consumer-driven, bigger-is-better, dog-eat-dog world.

As I've stressed in prior posts, some people are just too hung up on material stuff. They're profligate spenders of the worst kind, running up their credit cards until they begin receiving calls from credit collectors.

These individuals really have no idea how much pleasure they can derive from simpler pursuits like taking a jaunt around the park, swimming at the beach, or simply hanging out with their closest comrades.

Society wants us to believe that in order to earn people's respect -- not to mention your own -- you must have an expensive car, large house, and all the other bells and whistles that constitute the so-called American Dream.

News flash: Not everyone yearns to live an extravagant life. Some of us are more than content living a middle class lifestyle. We're in no rush to trade up the Prius for a Maserati, McDonald's for Mortons, Nine West for Coach.

Big name brands aside, some people insist on getting the "best" job (even if it means working 60 hours a week), having more kids than their neighbors, and doing other things in the name of competition.

I'm all for setting goals that you want to achieve for yourself -- the ones that come straight from the heart.

But striving to achieve or acquire something simply to upstage someone else is preposterous. In the end, whether you succeed or fall short, you'll still feel hollow inside.

I have a frame up on my wall that says, "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were big things."

Life isn't about how many watches you own or how much money you saved your company. We can't take our money with us when we die, and our companies will likely outlive us. No, life is about something far more meaningful.

It's all about togetherness -- love, peace, and family. Don't stress out about not having everything you want, for everything you want could be more within your grasp than you ever thought possible.

Embrace a simpler, slower life and watch how quickly that "Keeing Up With The Joneses" mentality dissipates. The more you're tethered to material goods and other superficial objects, the less fulfilled you're bound to be.

Remember to unwind every once in a while. Try to slow down the tempo and take an interest in the simpler stuff. You'll be amazed at how radically your views on life will change.
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