It is over 20 years since I read this saying from Gurdjieff. It struck me then and still resonates now. We often pin our happiness onto what we have  – certain things, relationships, achievements, successes- and hold onto them for dear life. What this quotation reminds us is that happiness is rooted in a contented mind. It is often related to letting go, to holding things lightly, to being peaceful within ourselves  – with where we are and what we can do without. It is linked to knowing we are complete in ourselves, not holding on to some things and not needing to be  completed by others or by what we have.   

A man is satisfied not by the quantity of food, but by the absence of greed.