You may ask what beware the stuff success curse means?
We wanted to write about beware of the stuff success curse because when Ryan did give me his post How To Succeed Surprises Most People, I was thinking about what success to people means? Most of you may say to make money. It is ok, but what else? As I was with my young friend (Pota)Rahul at that time and I asked him, because my perception of success may be different.
Because, in my time, there were not all the Millionaire and success-driven slogans around. Work had a different value and money more than only a digit on a screen. Also, in the past, the general idea of success was just more attainable.
Rahul likes to travel and said I would use the money to travel. It is his version of a successful life right now to travel and experience. However, I asked him what do you think other young people would do? Buying a car, buying furniture, buying stuff is what most would do first, he said. But a successful life is not about gathering things.
Stuff can become a curse if you are attached to it. I know this from my experience in a life of many changes and movements. I thought to ask Ryan about his view. Since he is freely traveling the world and enjoys his life, I think he is not attached to stuff.
There is nothing wrong with [people] possessing riches. The wrong comes from riches possessing [people].– Billy Graham
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.– Epictetus
Here is another guest post from our friend Ryan Biddulph
Thank you, Ryan, for sharing your experience with us.
Beware the Stuff Success Curse
10 years ago, I desired to own mansions, flashy cars, and nice clothes.
Today, I have spent the past 8 years circling the globe. I own my laptop, phone, some clothes, money and a financial investment or two. I own no house and do not own a car. Therefore I am utterly free of all stuff-attachments weighing down most of humanity. What changed my mind? Why did I go from desiring mountains of STUFF to circling the globe as a full-time digital nomad? I realized something; I fell prey to the “stuff success curse”.
Be like the children
Basically, as little kids, we care less about stuff, really. This is our natural self. No sentient being craves or desires to own stuff because stuff slows you down, or weighs you down when you get attached to it.
Little kids just want to have a fun time. Children want to enjoy fun experiences. But adults and society, in general, try to program kids with the idea that accumulating as much stuff as possible is the main goal in life. Fools program you to believe success is piling up as much stuff or things as humanly possible. Pile up money. Or pile up mansions. Pile up cars. And Pile up clothes.
Of course, these fools never tell you the curse of attaching yourself to this stuff, or, the curse of working incredibly hard, to acquire things: things ONLY create temporary happiness. After the temporary good feeling emotions, your feelings bottom out, and you return to your normal life and normal vibe. For most humans – who lack wisdom, poise, serenity, and calm – the normal life and normal vibe is fear-pain, which feels horribly depressing.
There is nothing wrong with people possessing riches. The wrong comes from riches possessing people.– Billy Graham
I do not advise you to renounce a worldly life like some sadhguru sitting in a jungle cave unless your heart tells you to take this route of the sage. Receiving money, a house and a car for rendering service, doing what you LOVE doing, is totally OK. But deeply desiring things and believing how acquiring stuff-things makes you successful is the most asinine thing human beings do. Observe a squirrel piling up acorns before wintertime. Does he brag about his huge pile of acorns to other squirrels? Does he feel successful because he piled up hundreds of acorns? No! He is just a squirrel being a squirrel.
Money and houses and cars are the byproduct of success
If you follow your passion and devote your life to mastering some skill that renders useful service to humanity, every dollar you make, from 1 buck to 1 billion bucks, feels like a bonus, or extra, or icing on the cake. The joy was in the experience of having fun helping people and having fun bringing the world together. Money and houses and cars are not evidence of success BUT money and houses and cars are the byproduct of someone who has lovingly served humanity from a fun, passionate, energy.
Success is in having fun *giving* and *connecting humanity*, NOT in spending precious years of your life obsessing over getting stuff.
I circle the globe because doing so feels fun, freeing and sometimes scary, to me. Leaving my comfort zone by traveling the world liberates me. Circling the globe does not make me a success or failure. I just do what’s fun and bring the world together by sharing how similar we really are, even amid our differences. Why did I change my goals from piling up stuff to circling the globe? Defining myself and my life by how big a number I could build on a screen (money) or how many hunks of metal I owned (cars) or how many hunks of wood I purchased (houses) seemed like a mental illness to me.
Remember; squirrels never brag about stacking up acorns; it’s just being a squirrel, doing as squirrels do. Infinitely gifted humans with limitless potential can never be defined by numbers, metal or wood; we ultimately live the most fun, freeing, useful, loving life by BEING whatever our gut-intuition tells us to BE, just like a squirrel being a squirrel.
Success is trusting your gut
Success is trusting your gut as it directs you to live your deepest passion, your greatest joy, your most pulsating fun. THAT is success. Aim for this life of fun, freedom, service and enriching experiences. Guess what? Worldly success will flow to you eventually, but you won’t be weighed down by attachment to these things. The work-life will be the reward. All else will feel like extra, a bonus, a cherry on top.
What is your experience? Do you agree?
I agree with Ryan, life is better to be enjoyed, full of experience, unattached to possessions that tie us and take our freedom. Beware the Stuff Success Curse!
Instead of buying stuff better invest in yourself. Ryan Biddulph inspires with his 100 plus eBooks, courses, paperbacks, audiobooks and blog at Blogging From Paradise.
“There is no more profitable investment than investing in yourself. It is the best investment you can make; you can never go wrong with it.- Roy T. Bennett
“The singular difference between success and true success is those who achieved true success did not pursue success, they were driven by it. They were those who followed their strengths, they were those who spent each heartbeat to proffer solutions to humanity’s problems, they were those who lived a highly simple and effective life.”― Sesan Kareem
Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. –Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Success is not in the possession of multitudes of dreams; it is in the art of processing dreams into multiple realities.”- Israelmore Ayivor
Tony Robbins: Money Doesn’t Equal Happiness. Here’s What Does
See also Why Being Generous Accelerates Your Success
and Simplify Your Life And The Benefit Of Being A Minimalist
What is your experience? What would you prefer?
Please share your opinion.
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Wonderful Erika! I’ve never been attached to the need for material goods, though I won’t lie, there have been occasions when I’ve fallen victim to the green-eyed monster of envy for a short time. Recently, a couple who have been friends for many years – and who own LOTS of stuff – sent me a postcard from Egypt. They shared about their luxury cruise up the Nile and how they’d recently refurnished their house (with a guest cottage) in Palm Desert, and how much they were enjoying their county club membership. In other words, the card was little more than hey, look at us!” I’m not sure which stung more, the fact they never even added a cursory “how are you?” or that Egypt has been on my bucket list for ages and I’ll likely never get there. Thankfully, that nonsense passed quickly after taking a few minutes to remind myself how grateful I am for the life I intentionally created. Thanks for the inspiration!
Marquita Herald recently posted…What does Settling for Good Enough Mean to You?
Hi Marquita,
nice to see you here.
It is good not to be attached to things. For me, I learned it because I had to change countries and sometimes had to leave everything behind and start from zero.
I would say for the couple you write about, I rather would have compassion, if somebody acts like this, something is missing in their life. I will tell you something that cured me of envy. Maybe it gives you another view.
It is a story my mother told me. When she was a kid after the war, my Grandpa was a shoemaker. It was high in demand and he had a lot of work and needed my mother to help him.
He had customers a couple who seemed to be very wealthy and everybody was envious of their dream life and perfect marriage.
One day my mother was sent to bring them the fixed shoes to their doorstep. She did ring the bell, nothing, she knocked on the door, nothing. Finally, she went behind the house to see if they are in the yard, but she only heard crying, when she looked to the window, she saw the man pushing the woman on her throat up the wall and hitting her with a wet towel saying ugly things. She was terrified and escaped home. She told me the story one day and said; Never be fooled by the look from outside, always look behind the scene. It is not always as it looks like.
And it is true, often in my life, I saw similar, there are a lot of pretenders.
Even I have friends who “have it all”, but I would not want to exchange.
Why should you not be able to visit Egypt? If you really want it and it is meant, sure you will be visiting Egypt 🙂
Gratitude always helps to change to better feelings.
Thank you for your story and comment
Erika
Hey Erika,
Here after a long time and like always loved your post. I do missed reading your posts as I was busy with one of my new projects, but will be regular from now on.
Keep up the good work.
~ Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted…Best Fastpitch Softball Bat for 12u – Top 5 Reviews
Hi Donna,
nice to see you back here.
I wish you all the best with your new project.
Thank you for your visit
Erika
Dear Erika, Thank you for this wonderful post. I’m certain that it can be life-changing advice for people who are only chasing success without realizing what is the real success.
There is nothing wrong with people possessing riches. The wrong comes from riches possessing people.– Billy Graham
Powerful stuff.
Anant Singh recently posted…Hello world!
Hi, my friend
I am glad you liked Ryan’s post and the quotes I added.
I agree with him and know that you realize what real success is.
Thank you for your comment
Let’s keep creating a peaceful and joyful world
Erika
Hey Erika,
Your Post is fabulous I loved to read your new Post hereafter a long time. I do miss reading your posts as I was busy with one of my new projects, but will be regular from now on.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Amar,
I am happy you love to read Ryan’s guest post.
Glad to see you back
Erika
Beautiful lines!! For me success is not just money ,fame and possession ,it is a happy life with smiling faces 🙂
Right,
fame and possession alone make not a successful life.
Better to be happy with less stuff 🙂
Thank you
Erika
It is very informative article and very useful for us thank for sharing this article with us.
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