‘Ahh..’ that fleeting feeling

And so the unit has been turned over. The furniture are all in place, the curtains matched, the appliances work, the address is right, and the keys have been handed over.

You paid good money for the interior designers and they delivered beyond your expectations. You give out a sigh and a smile was on your face the moment you entered your unit in this plush condo.

It is a mysterious feeling.... the same feeling you get when you get your new car, carry that ostrich skin bag for the first time, or wear that pink gold Chronos luxury Swiss watch.

This is the “aahhh” feeling, and it does not come too often. Some would equate this as the feeling of accomplishment. Others take this as a sign that announces: “I have arrived...”

It’s not a bad thing at all, in fact, it is a nice feeling. I like the feeling and as a matter of fact, though as rare as they come, I have had a few times of that feeling.

Psychologists call this the “Hedonistic adaptation.”  The only problem though is that it does not last. And because it was a good feeling, you need to buy something else in order to recapture the feeling. 

Perhaps you think you are exempted from this rule because you don’t have the money to buy a condo, a German car, a French handbag or a Swiss watch but just think about the same emotions you experience when you go to a mall or better yet when you see the word: “S-A-L-E.”

The truth is this “Aahhh” feeling is so fleeting and there is a craving to want to have more of it. Perhaps this time a penthouse from the latest luxury developer, a British icon limousine, a limited edition luxury watch, and an alligator skin handbag, and so you up the game wanting to have more of the “aahh” feeling that would last longer.

Perhaps it does last longer and need to show it off to your friends so that you could have a few tickles of the same feeling, but then again it does not linger. The cycle now becomes addictive and you are never satisfied.

Do you know why the satisfaction is not there? Because you and I are not wired to enjoy satisfaction that way. And here is the key. Satisfaction does not come from “having,” it always comes from “doing.” So let me bring you to another scenario.

Take a walk around your house or your office. Look at the stuff around you. They are nice, pricey and luxurious, but that is all they are; objects and nothing more.

Do something different this time. Don’t throw your stuff away, keep them but call your family or close friends and use the same stuff to prepare dinner.

And when they come don’t show the stuff off. Concentrate on the people and have a good time instead. What brings more satisfaction now, the stuff or the using of the same stuff to serve others?

This is why some people pay good money for very nice things and keep them in their vaults so they can use them for a very special occasion. They miss out on the fun don’t they?

You can actually love your stuff, only they do not have the capability to love you back. Real satisfaction comes from achieving, not from acquiring. And real happiness comes from appreciating what you have and not longing for what you don’t have.

Some people want to have everything. I wonder where they can keep it?

Real success comes when one can feel happy not from the stuff he or she accumulates, but from the lives they can inspire attuned to their unique purpose in life. Happiness is always focused on others, not self-absorbed.

And by the way, all those stuff…? They will be handed down to somebody else one day, but all the lives you have touched, they will multiply and will continue long after you are gone.

Work on things that matter. Do things that matter and make your life matter.

(Only a few tickets left for “Stand Out for Outstanding Performance” that will be held on Sept. 9 at the Metro Tent inside Metro Walk along Ortigas Blvd. Be inspired and learn from speakers Chinkee Tan, Francis Kong, Bryan Kong and Karen Davila as they share principles on how to become great achievers. For further inquiries contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 or 6310660 for details).