Every year in Ramadan I try to focus on one thing. This year it’s abundance. Roza will help remind me that I have a lot. Having a lot isn't bad, but having too much is.
I think this is an economics idea at it's root. The idea is called the Paradox of Plenty. It's basically when a country with a lot of resources has a worse economic outcome than those countries with few resources. The basic idea is that a country with a lot doesn't develop organically and this is referred to as the "resource curse".
The idea of Paradox of Plenty seems to apply much more broadly. It is the restlessness that comes with too much choice. It creates the illusion of control. It seems logical that the more we have and can decide would translate into more empowerment and more control of our environment. That's not right. Stuff happens, both good and bad, and you can't control it. Stoicism ties in here I think. A tenet of stoicism is understanding that things around you will happen and they're supposed to. You control your mind and nothing else.
Taher, be content without plenty. Being content isn't settling for less. Rather it's realizing what you have.
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