"We cannot accumulate enough things to make our lives worth living."

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus in his book, Mind Shift (p. 18). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

That is a thought that we really do need to realize is true, don't we?

Erwin starts chapter 1 by saying, "The longer you live, the more you come to realize that it is inevitable that you will lose things."

Later he says, "The best way to lose your life and look back with regret is to never mature past the mindset that life is all about things. We need to be careful that we’ve not simply replaced fighting over the LEGOs in the nursery with fighting over who has the most Lamborghinis. We cannot accumulate enough things to make our lives worth living.

A Lamborghini

He goes on, "Eventually, most of us transition into the second stage of development. For people in this stage, life is no longer about things but about experiences. Often it’s filled with firsts. Our first crush. Our first date. Our first kiss. Our first taste of independence. Life revolves around every new experience, and they make us feel alive.

"Those experiences are not inconsequential. They shape our identity and self-worth. We want the experience of winning, so we play football. We want to be popular, so we join the cheer team. We want to be loved, so we experience sexual intimacy long before we’re ready for it. After all, life is all about experiences. If we’re not experiencing, we’re not living. At least that’s what we think."

But is that true?

Erwin then says, "Eventually, we begin to see life a bit differently. Having nice things makes life nice, and great experiences can enrich us and leave us with wonderful memories. But eventually we realize that possessions and experiences are enhancements to life, not its ultimate meaning. This epiphany is perhaps the singular transition that moves us from adolescence into adulthood. When we grasp that life is about people, when we make people our highest priority, this shift becomes the best measure of maturity, wholeness, and health."

And that is such an important mind shift for us to deal with. It really is! Yes, yes! #continuethought

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Just Continue That Thought...

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