More or Less

I was 24 and was asked to help lead Catalyst. I had no experience, but apparently I was the right guy. For 8 of the last 9 years, I have creatively led Catalyst. There is nothing bigger to lead for young leaders that see the world through the lens of Jesus. We saw the growth happen from 5000 people to 10,000 people to 25000 people at in person events and awareness continues to spread across the world. These numbers are beyond anything we ever imagined.

But, bigger is not always better.

I wrestle with this tension everyday. More or Less? Every aspect of life feels like this tension hits at the core of what is success. More or less clothes? More or less food? More or less square footage? More or less time? More or less twitter followers? In an age of continual progress, what is enough?

When John D. Rockefeller was asked, "What is enough?" Rockefeller's reply was, "Just a little bit more.

Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men in history. So, why would he say this? While I can't relate to Rockefeller's wealth, I can relate to Rockefeller's response. He had exponentially more zeros in his bank account than the rest of us could ever dream. Yet, our struggle is the same. I want more. My desires don't end easily. I can't keep up with others. Others have the new technological gadget that is solving all of life's problems or a big enough car to fit everything into for a long road trip. They have a cleaning service, HBO, a pool. Others have more friends on Facebook, season tickets, or that cool boat for weekend excursions. They have more goodies than me. They have stuff that I want. Bill McKibbons, in his book The Deep Economy, taught me that while we desire more, we instinctively know that it is not always better. Something deep inside us knows that money and even the stuff that money buys does not guarantee happiness, yet still I want just a little more.

Where do I draw a line? How do I draw a line?

Defining enough is our personal responsibility. We won't recognize it, unless we have taken the time to define it. Defining enough is a freedom waiting to be experienced, breaking the bondage of ever-increasing desire. As I have put the question to various aspects of my life, I am finding that asking the question does not limit me as much as it grants me opportunity. I want to proactively step off the conveyor belt of consumerism and create my own rhythm of life. I want to degine enough. A realistic measuring stick-one that offers me attainable and sustainable goals for life and the pursuit of my calling.

Enough cannot be defined by or for others. It would be much easier if we were given a definition to live by, but it isn't that easy. It isn't a percentage of your income. There is no formula. Every person must define what is enough individually. It is much easier to critique someone else's definition and lifestyle. I don't recommend it. Not only will it cause others to avoid you and your potentially judgmental observations, it also doesn't do you any good. It is hard enough to process your own motivations, needs, and desires without trying to evaluate everyone else's. Work on your definition of Enough for you.

As I have started to form my own rough outline of Enough and begun to pursue my unique dream, I have met others feeling the same calling. Just because projects I work on get larger in scale doesn't mean my desires change. I struggle with always wanting more. Truthfully, I have endless excess in my life and I want to find ways to help people in great need out of that excess.

My friends and I have been putting our creative minds together to explore helpful ways to define Enough and creative ways to use our excess for good. I like to call them social experiments. They are experiments designed to challenge our current lifestyles to cast light on our excess. From counting clothes to calling on change left on gift cards, we began asking the question: What would happen if we created a culture of asking, "What is enough?" Maybe we could exchange our lives of excess into a collaborative community pursuing generosity. Maybe we could find reason behind why we have been given so much. This lifestyle will bring joy and freedom in a society saturated with the pursuit of only gaining more. Advocating for enough could be our opportunity to bring hope to humanity. In an age of more, maybe we could live with less resulting in more for others. We invite you to join us.