A quality life is about much more than merely accumulating a lot of stuff. A quality life is about much more than impressing others with how clever or fashionable you are.
Real fulfillment comes from making a positive difference in the world. A life of richness comes from focusing not on how much you can grab, but on the original, valuable and lasting things you can create.
When you choose to compromise your most deeply held values, anything you gain by doing so will be of no real use to you. If you must betray the unique person you are in order to feed your appetite for fleeting pleasures, you have dealt yourself a tragic loss.
On the surface, virtue and restraint may seem to be dry, boring and old fashioned. Yet they can bring a depth of richness to life that cannot be attained in any other way.
The joy of opening gifts on Christmas morning becomes a meaningless chore if you've been immediately satisfying every whim all year long. The delight of enjoying a gourmet meal loses all its appeal if you've spent the day grabbing snacks every time you're slightly hungry.
Be careful not to invest your precious life in things that disappear the moment they're consumed. Focus on what you can give, and express, and create, and you'll experience genuine satisfaction that never runs out.
-- Ralph Marston
