That Which Is Not

Treat what you don’t have as nonexistent. Look at what you have, the things you value most, and think of how much you’d crave them if you didn’t have them.

Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

When I was in high school, my stomach was an empty void. I was hungry ALL THE TIME. I remember one day, after school, I came home and ate an entire box of corn dogs. Six corn dogs. They weren’t even that good, but I ate all six of them. And two hours later, I’m sure I ate a full dinner as well.

Now, did I need to eat as much as I did? Probably not. It certainly didn’t teach me much about restraint when it comes to my food choices, which is something I’m still working through at times these days. I was hungry, so I ate. I saw something that looked delicious, and even if I wasn’t hungry, I ate it.

Materialism in our lives can create a similar kind of empty void. When we start craving new things in our lives, we enter into a cycle of non-stop desire for what we don’t have. We are always looking for the next thing. We want more, more, more. What we have is not enough, and it will never fully satisfy.

In his Meditations, which were really just written for his own self-reflection, Marcus Aurelius encourages himself to “treat what [he] doesn’t have as nonexistent”. If what we think we want doesn’t really exist, then it is very easy to put it behind us and move forward.

Of course, this is a matter of trying to trick our own minds. We are aware of that, which can be a significant flaw. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do. We simply have to believe the lie we tell ourselves. “Yes, I could really go for a Big Mac right now, but there isn’t a McDonald’s anywhere in this town.” OF COURSE that’s a lie. About the only thing we see more often than McDonald’s is Subway, no matter where we go. There’s a McDonald’s in every zip code (okay, that may be an exaggeration, but you get the point). If I tell myself that something doesn’t exist, then, certainly, I know that I’m lying to myself. But, it would also be beneficial for me to believe that lie. As much as I enjoy Big Macs, the last time I had one was a very unpleasant experience, and that what I need to remember more. Anyway… when’s lunch? Oh, wait…

The key to combating materialism in our lives, especially the kind of materialism that consumes our thoughts and resources, is to simply be content with what we already have. To put away the desire for more, more, more. I know that’s a difficult thing to do. Advertising is a multi-billion dollar industry. It exists to make us crave something. We see countless advertisements every single day. What this requires, then, is an unusual mastery of the self. It requires discipline. Easier said than done, yes, especially at first. But that doesn’t make it impossible.

So, what is it that’s gnawing away at you right now? What keeps coming up in the back of your mind, saying, “You need me. You need me, right now!” Shut down those voices. Be content with what you already have. Focus on what you do have, and be grateful. It’s hard work, but eventually, you will thank yourself for the discipline you are instilling.