Day 355: On Luxuries

The taste for luxuries increases with marvelous rapidity under indulgence.

—George Payne Rainsford James 355

The more luxuries you consume and surround yourself with, the more you’ll become accustomed to them — and the harder it will be for you to tolerate something less than perfect.

While there’s nothing wrong in enjoying the fruits of your labor and making your life a little bit more convenient, be cautious to not overindulge in luxuries. They can spoil you and make you less resilient and capable of dealing with difficult situations.

Not being able to accept something less than perfect is ultimately a big weakness. A disciplined person will be able to train in every gym or even without any equipment, eat healthily even if there are no Whole Foods markets available where they are, and stay productive even without a proper work desk.

Periodically go with something of a lower quality to remind yourself that things don’t have to be world-class in order to still serve their function. Forego some conveniences to improve your tolerance of the hardships. Don’t indulge yourself after a success, in order to remind yourself that ultimately the most valuable reward is the process you had to go through to achieve the final outcome.

Doing all of those things will increase your appreciation of what you have , and remind you that discomfort is always just a step away — and yes, there’s always the risk that one day it will be you who will have to tolerate it again.