They had been in business for years. Over the years life sped up. They were insanely busy. Meetings, flights, project due dates. The work was exhilarating, it put them in the zone. They loved it and now they were starting to hate it. It had taken over their lives. It was their life.

“We’ve got a problem with ‘more'” She admitted.

I smiled.

Her partner bowed his head and admitted, “We do more, we make less.”

“No, Chad we do more- we’re becoming less”

“We’re talking ‘MORE’ Addiction-right?” I asked.

“We say no, to very little.” He admitted.

I understood their pain. For most of my life I too had falsely believed that MORE was ALWAYS better. More clients, more appointments, more friends, more events, more awards and accolades for my children, more attention from friends, more ideas, more things, more tools, more priorities. I mean more was me. I craved big fat ‘more’ over skinny emaciated ‘less’ every moment of every day!

Can’t you see it now. You and I and the business partners described above, all seated in a circle. Confessing we’re ‘more’ addicts.

Yes, make no mistake busyness is the drug of the enlightened, educated and motivated.

I use to think it was tied closely to The Jesus Complex, mistakenly thinking one is God. But these day’s I attribute my obsession with ‘more’ as part and parcel of my lingering Santa Claus complex.

Yes. Down deep, my attraction to doing ‘more’ is tied to my desire to be Santa. Always giving, so I too can be loved like that big jovial man in the red suit. Weird I know. Not as weird as some of my other complexes but let’s stay focused here.

Doing more, is a life strategy. It meets a need. For me, it made me feel like Santa and I truly believed that MORE was the way to love and happiness, success even. What is MORE doing for you? What do you believe? Why do you do more, give more, say more, when it’s killing you and the things you love? Why do we continue to do more when it creates less in our lives? Maybe it’s time to step back and reflect for a moment. To tame the seductress; MORE.

Maybe, it’s time to redefine what MORE means to us individually.

So when has; MORE been less in your life? In your venture?

Have you ever been addicted or caught up in doing ‘more’ only to find yourself with less: Less spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially and or intellectually?

Sometimes we need to prune. Even starve the roots of our lives to send them deep into the soil in search of what is most meaningful and valuable to us.

Sometimes the only way to get ‘more’ of the life and business you want is to do ‘less’.

More or less – you always have a choice. Now, I need to wrap this up because LESS is MORE!

Pam Hoelzle

Make a life, not merely a living.

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ploaded on April 29, 2006
by antanask