You could call it weak or a weakness but it was one of those unawares moments last night when I lay not fully awake in the middle of the night and my thoughts ran freely.

This thought bubbled up and occured to me in this haze of an unawares: “There’s something missing . . . ” My disciplined and peacefully trained mind quickly took charge and jumped in to end this wayward train before it could careen on somewhere not wanted. I quickly interjected with “yes. I could use more gratitude.”

This may seem small and minor. But, to me, it is as big as a significant mountain of meaning. For this common tendency of us all to always want for more is not where it’s at. It’s not where we are going. It’s not why we are here.

Sober in the morning light I picked up my trusty copy of “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius (while on other, regular, business) and imbued [sic] on the wisdom from literally the 2nd century. [We literally know because we arbitrarily started the counting!]

I’m going to paraphrase an address to this very concept of a problem, this mental challenge that any well-disciplined and positively inclined mind should be up to, It comes from Book IX, number 6.

Why do we want more? I plead! And more? I implore! And yet more?:

a) Your present opinion founded on understanding

b) Your present conduct founded on public good

c) Your present disposition and positive acceptance and contentment with everything that happens

That is enough.

We truly don’t need more. Of anything. Else.

P.S. We certainly don’t need *conservative* *faith* [If you don’t like this, plead the 2nd on me in your most pious way]