What We Don't Have

When I was a digital nomad I often thought about having a stable setup where I can work. Not having to move every few months, uprooting my habits & life and seeing friends more often. These wants along with countless others caused me to suffer much more than I should have. Instead, I should have been living “the dream.”

After moving back to the states I built up most of the things I once wanted. Now I, of course, want more freedom, adventure and less routine. We often want what we don’t have.

So then, what do we do about this? Do we attempt to have it all? Or do we cultivate gratitude to remind us of all the great things we already have?

The Stoics have this idea of negative visualization to combat this issue. The approach is a thought experiment. Visualize yourself not having all the things you currently have. For instance, losing your friends, health, possessions, and so on. This exercise’s intent is to make one grateful for what they do have. Instead of focusing on what they don't.

But after finding various gratefulness exercises, it makes one think. Is life a constant loop of conquering our thoughts and behaviors? On repeat, moving between different problems and adjustments. Over and over. This perspective may seem somber, but sometimes the arc of life seems flatter than I would hope. Maybe the feeling is exposing something deeper than what’s on the surface. Maybe it's just Sunday again.