Change Your Mind, Have Everything You Want.

If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich

-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (chap. 33, tr. S. Mitchell)

This is such a pervasive notion in Taoist and Buddhist beliefs. Certainly there is a counter-argument but I find this idea quite beautiful. We strive to get, achieve, acquire, own, but if you keep wanting more and are not content at some point, there is no end to it! Here is another quote along the same lines that illustrates my point:

The Master doesn't try to be powerful; 

thus he is truly powerful. 

The ordinary man keeps reaching for power; 

thus he never has enough.

-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (chap. 38, tr. S. Mitchell)

I think that's just great. The implication is clearly not that you will get what you want by being lazy. My interpretation is that if we don't set limits and don't release expectation then we risk never being satisfied.

What is the Tao Te Ching?

As Wikipedia will kindly inform you, the Tao Te Ching is a text thought to be written around 600 BC and is essential to the Taoist and Buddhist belief systems. Lao Tzu is traditionally attributed as being the author. The text is closer to poetry than anything else which makes it hard to absorb quickly. One must search for the meaning in every statement to get the most out of it. I read it in one sitting but I'll have to reread it many times to fully appreciate it. There are so many good quotes that I'm just going to drop one in here every so often.

Knowing others is intelligence.

Knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Mastering others is strength.

Mastering yourself is true power.

-Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (chap. 33, tr. S. Mitchell)

No commentary necessary methinks. Simple, elegant, incontestable.