May 12, 2025 • 9 mins
Why do we always want more even when we already have so much?
That car, that phone, that dream vacation... they thrill us for a moment, then fade. Meanwhile, the quiet beauty of everyday life goes unnoticed.
In this week’s episode of Skipping Stones, we explore how to shift our attention from what’s missing to what’s already amazing. From kids turning trash into treasure to simple moments that stir the soul, this episode will help you see the world and your life with fresh eyes.
Subscribe now and start finding joy where you least expect it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
What in life deserves our time and attention and what
things don't.
I hope that as we consider thatquestion, along with other
topics on this show, that we canall learn to live our lives
just a little more intentionally.
This is Seth Roberts.
Thanks for joining me onSkipping Stones.
In the 1970s film Willy Wonkaand the Chocolate Factory,
(00:32):
there's a line from one of thesongs that says If you want to
view paradise, simply lookaround and view it, regardless
of whether or not you'restanding in a room made of
chocolate.
It's true, it's not worthpretending that life is all
roses, but there's a lot more oflife available to us if we are
able to step outside of ourheads.
When my kids get bored, theylike to complain that there's
(00:56):
nothing to do, but really allthat means is that they haven't
chosen to open their eyes.
They're choosing in thosemoments to try and get me to
throw some stimulating activityin front of them that's so
interesting that they can'tignore it, and that's just too
much work for any parent to keepup with.
Not to mention that they getdesensitized over time and
(01:18):
become perpetually discontent,no matter what entertainment you
throw at them.
Unfortunately, in life, there'snot a whole ton of stuff out
there that's going to excite uswithout consciously looking for
it.
The reason we love our phonesso much is because they throw
novelty at us almost non-stop.
We can sit for hours withnever-ending stimulus.
(01:41):
It may not always be thatexciting, but it's easier than
having to look for things thatwe like in the world around us.
So it goes with the gifts oflife.
I noticed a while back that carsthat I once thought were
breathtakingly beautiful stoppedbeing so exciting.
The second, an updated design,started hitting the roads.
In short, I think I fell preyto our human tendency to only
(02:05):
look at the things I'm told to.
If the car company tells methat I need the latest model, my
desire obeys.
Our minds are so drawn to thatwhich we do not have that that
desire crowds out the pleasurewe are able to receive from what
we already have.
Our simple minds need a lot ofreminders to stop looking at
(02:27):
what we don't have.
One of the greatest failings ofthe human mind is that it does
not stay put.
It wanders around and getsdistracted by shiny objects that
aren't already in ourpossession.
We're a little like spoiledchildren being offered endless
gifts and presents, but the onlything we can focus on is the
one thing that's not being givento us.
(02:49):
If we are willing to activelylook around us, life gives in so
many ways.
Life gives us good things tosmell when we walk outside.
It gives us beautiful things tolook at that we don't have to
pay for.
It gives us incredible thingsto look at that we don't have to
pay for.
It gives us incredible music tolisten to.
It gives wonderful things tofeel and experience.
(03:10):
The thing about theever-present gifts that life
offers to us is that they'requiet, they're not loud and they
do not overcome our attention.
We have to actually make aneffort to see these gifts.
A while back, I was watching theoriginal Cinderella movie with
my kids.
There's a scene where her glassslipper comes off her foot.
(03:33):
That's set against one of themost incredible backdrops.
The staircase is so wide itcould fit possibly 30 people
side by side, and in thebackground are columns that
appear to be the size ofhigh-rise buildings, and that
was the first time I evernoticed that it really was a
(03:54):
kind of precursor to thedramatic shots Hollywood likes
to use these days.
When I noticed it, my heartimmediately told me I had to
have it, in spite of my heart.
I realized that even therichest man in the world might
have trouble replicating astructure like that, and I
realized that the same effectcould be achieved if he just
(04:14):
scaled it down.
A wide staircase with regularsized columns in the background
would proportionally looksimilar to that incredible
backdrop in the Cinderella movie.
Similarly, as beautiful andgrand as ancient cathedrals
might be, a mature forest offersa very similar cathedral effect
(04:35):
.
With some perspective and someopen eyes, we can find the same
exaggerated beauty we see infilm in the real world.
It's especially hard in ourinformation age to exercise our
ability to take the subtlergifts that life has to offer,
but I believe they areultimately more satisfying if we
(04:55):
can learn to see this world.
Seeing the gifts life has tooffer seems almost like
developing a sixth sense.
The added bonus to learning tosee these gifts is that there's
a satisfaction in havingdiscovered something no one else
can see.
One of my best friends has aremarkable ability to light up
(05:15):
like a child every time he seesan interesting bug.
I think he has unlocked asecret garden, if you will, that
he can access whenever he walksoutside.
It's a gift that life hasbestowed upon him that he has
chosen to take.
I can't say that I have learnedto love bugs, but simply being
(05:35):
around my friend has taught meto open my eyes a little more
and, as a result, I do sometimestake a little pleasure in
seeing an interesting bug.
But life has offered me othergifts that have given me my own
secret garden me other giftsthat have given me my own secret
garden.
It's hard to remember that Ihave access to such rich gifts
in my life because I, likeeveryone else, am drawn to that
(05:57):
which glitters, whether that bethe news or a funny video that I
saw on social media.
It all screams for ourattention.
But when I remind myself thatlife has something better to
offer me, I try to open my eyesagain so that I can enter that
(06:19):
secret garden once more.
You don't always need a bucketlist to live your life to the
fullest.
Sometimes you just need theability to open your eyes.
I have a daughter with the mostincredible secret garden
available to her.
I have a daughter with the mostincredible secret garden
available to her.
When left to her own devices,this little girl can take
(06:40):
incredible pleasure from makingsomething out of a pile of trash
.
I sometimes find that dumbingthings down gives us access to a
more satisfying and nuancedpleasure if we're open to it.
For example, I like listeningto music while I do things, but
I heard someone say once thatthey enjoyed listening to music
as the main activity, whichseems normal enough.
But when I thought about it, Icouldn't remember the last time
(07:02):
I listened to music just tolisten to the music.
Obviously, people have beendoing that since music was
invented.
But outside of a concert, whenwas the last time you just sat
and did nothing other thanlisten to music?
I tried it and it was amazing.
The simpler things are almostnever as immediately satisfying
(07:23):
as highly stimulatingentertainment, but it has a way
of leaving you feeling far morefulfilled.
But it has a way of leaving youfeeling far more fulfilled.
When our mind is overwhelmedwith powerful stimulus, it gets
harder to appreciate the nuanceof things that are less
obviously stimulating.
It's a lot like food.
The modern American diet issuper heavy on salt and sugar
(07:46):
and, as a consequence, it's veryhard for Americans to
appreciate vegetables unlessthey're sweetened or salted.
What a lot of people don't knowis that if you can remove the
majority, if not all, added saltfrom your diet.
Foods you may have thought ofas bland actually become
(08:08):
flavorful again.
It takes a few weeks for thetongue to adapt, but it does,
and so it goes with the giftsthat life has to offer us.
When we chase after only themost stimulating things in life,
it's going to rob us of a worldof good things.
The good gifts of life do notblunt our taste for the other
good gifts of life.
In fact, they help open up aworld of gifts for us to enjoy.
(08:32):
The gifts that life offers whenwe open our eyes are the kinds
of gifts that don't leave usfeeling anxious for more,
because they are the kinds ofgifts that actually leave us
satisfied.
If you want to view paradise,simply look around and view it.
If you can learn how to viewparadise, simply look around and
(08:53):
view it.
If you can learn how to speakon, please feel free to email me
(09:17):
at info at skippingstonessrcom.
New episodes will be releasedweekly every Monday, bye.
What in life deserves our time and attention and what
things don't.
I hope that as we consider thatquestion, along with other
topics on this show, that we canall learn to live our lives
just a little more intentionally.
This is Seth Roberts.
Thanks for joining me onSkipping Stones.
In the 1970s film Willy Wonkaand the Chocolate Factory,
(00:32):
there's a line from one of thesongs that says If you want to
view paradise, simply lookaround and view it, regardless
of whether or not you'restanding in a room made of
chocolate.
It's true, it's not worthpretending that life is all
roses, but there's a lot more oflife available to us if we are
able to step outside of ourheads.
When my kids get bored, theylike to complain that there's
(00:56):
nothing to do, but really allthat means is that they haven't
chosen to open their eyes.
They're choosing in thosemoments to try and get me to
throw some stimulating activityin front of them that's so
interesting that they can'tignore it, and that's just too
much work for any parent to keepup with.
Not to mention that they getdesensitized over time and
(01:18):
become perpetually discontent,no matter what entertainment you
throw at them.
Unfortunately, in life, there'snot a whole ton of stuff out
there that's going to excite uswithout consciously looking for
it.
The reason we love our phonesso much is because they throw
novelty at us almost non-stop.
We can sit for hours withnever-ending stimulus.
(01:41):
It may not always be thatexciting, but it's easier than
having to look for things thatwe like in the world around us.
So it goes with the gifts oflife.
I noticed a while back that carsthat I once thought were
breathtakingly beautiful stoppedbeing so exciting.
The second, an updated design,started hitting the roads.
In short, I think I fell preyto our human tendency to only
(02:05):
look at the things I'm told to.
If the car company tells methat I need the latest model, my
desire obeys.
Our minds are so drawn to thatwhich we do not have that that
desire crowds out the pleasurewe are able to receive from what
we already have.
Our simple minds need a lot ofreminders to stop looking at
(02:27):
what we don't have.
One of the greatest failings ofthe human mind is that it does
not stay put.
It wanders around and getsdistracted by shiny objects that
aren't already in ourpossession.
We're a little like spoiledchildren being offered endless
gifts and presents, but the onlything we can focus on is the
one thing that's not being givento us.
(02:49):
If we are willing to activelylook around us, life gives in so
many ways.
Life gives us good things tosmell when we walk outside.
It gives us beautiful things tolook at that we don't have to
pay for.
It gives us incredible thingsto look at that we don't have to
pay for.
It gives us incredible music tolisten to.
It gives wonderful things tofeel and experience.
(03:10):
The thing about theever-present gifts that life
offers to us is that they'requiet, they're not loud and they
do not overcome our attention.
We have to actually make aneffort to see these gifts.
A while back, I was watching theoriginal Cinderella movie with
my kids.
There's a scene where her glassslipper comes off her foot.
(03:33):
That's set against one of themost incredible backdrops.
The staircase is so wide itcould fit possibly 30 people
side by side, and in thebackground are columns that
appear to be the size ofhigh-rise buildings, and that
was the first time I evernoticed that it really was a
(03:54):
kind of precursor to thedramatic shots Hollywood likes
to use these days.
When I noticed it, my heartimmediately told me I had to
have it, in spite of my heart.
I realized that even therichest man in the world might
have trouble replicating astructure like that, and I
realized that the same effectcould be achieved if he just
(04:14):
scaled it down.
A wide staircase with regularsized columns in the background
would proportionally looksimilar to that incredible
backdrop in the Cinderella movie.
Similarly, as beautiful andgrand as ancient cathedrals
might be, a mature forest offersa very similar cathedral effect
(04:35):
.
With some perspective and someopen eyes, we can find the same
exaggerated beauty we see infilm in the real world.
It's especially hard in ourinformation age to exercise our
ability to take the subtlergifts that life has to offer,
but I believe they areultimately more satisfying if we
(04:55):
can learn to see this world.
Seeing the gifts life has tooffer seems almost like
developing a sixth sense.
The added bonus to learning tosee these gifts is that there's
a satisfaction in havingdiscovered something no one else
can see.
One of my best friends has aremarkable ability to light up
(05:15):
like a child every time he seesan interesting bug.
I think he has unlocked asecret garden, if you will, that
he can access whenever he walksoutside.
It's a gift that life hasbestowed upon him that he has
chosen to take.
I can't say that I have learnedto love bugs, but simply being
(05:35):
around my friend has taught meto open my eyes a little more
and, as a result, I do sometimestake a little pleasure in
seeing an interesting bug.
But life has offered me othergifts that have given me my own
secret garden me other giftsthat have given me my own secret
garden.
It's hard to remember that Ihave access to such rich gifts
in my life because I, likeeveryone else, am drawn to that
(05:57):
which glitters, whether that bethe news or a funny video that I
saw on social media.
It all screams for ourattention.
But when I remind myself thatlife has something better to
offer me, I try to open my eyesagain so that I can enter that
(06:19):
secret garden once more.
You don't always need a bucketlist to live your life to the
fullest.
Sometimes you just need theability to open your eyes.
I have a daughter with the mostincredible secret garden
available to her.
I have a daughter with the mostincredible secret garden
available to her.
When left to her own devices,this little girl can take
(06:40):
incredible pleasure from makingsomething out of a pile of trash
.
I sometimes find that dumbingthings down gives us access to a
more satisfying and nuancedpleasure if we're open to it.
For example, I like listeningto music while I do things, but
I heard someone say once thatthey enjoyed listening to music
as the main activity, whichseems normal enough.
But when I thought about it, Icouldn't remember the last time
(07:02):
I listened to music just tolisten to the music.
Obviously, people have beendoing that since music was
invented.
But outside of a concert, whenwas the last time you just sat
and did nothing other thanlisten to music?
I tried it and it was amazing.
The simpler things are almostnever as immediately satisfying
(07:23):
as highly stimulatingentertainment, but it has a way
of leaving you feeling far morefulfilled.
But it has a way of leaving youfeeling far more fulfilled.
When our mind is overwhelmedwith powerful stimulus, it gets
harder to appreciate the nuanceof things that are less
obviously stimulating.
It's a lot like food.
The modern American diet issuper heavy on salt and sugar
(07:46):
and, as a consequence, it's veryhard for Americans to
appreciate vegetables unlessthey're sweetened or salted.
What a lot of people don't knowis that if you can remove the
majority, if not all, added saltfrom your diet.
Foods you may have thought ofas bland actually become
(08:08):
flavorful again.
It takes a few weeks for thetongue to adapt, but it does,
and so it goes with the giftsthat life has to offer us.
When we chase after only themost stimulating things in life,
it's going to rob us of a worldof good things.
The good gifts of life do notblunt our taste for the other
good gifts of life.
In fact, they help open up aworld of gifts for us to enjoy.
(08:32):
The gifts that life offers whenwe open our eyes are the kinds
of gifts that don't leave usfeeling anxious for more,
because they are the kinds ofgifts that actually leave us
satisfied.
If you want to view paradise,simply look around and view it.
If you can learn how to viewparadise, simply look around and
(08:53):
view it.
If you can learn how to speakon, please feel free to email me
(09:17):
at info at skippingstonessrcom.
New episodes will be releasedweekly every Monday, bye.
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