There is a famous saying about eating which goes: “Breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.”
Naturally, this advice was originally about the benefits of starting the day with a hearty meal to set you up for the day and eating less as the day goes on. And anyone who has ever gone to bed with an uncomfortably full stomach will attest to its veracity.
However, what I like about this quote is that it has so many meanings beyond the obvious, particularly as a lesson for enjoying a ‘less is more’ approach to life, one I constantly strive towards.
When applied to our journey through life, breakfast is our youth. A time of natural energy and exuberance during which experiences are to be grabbed with both hands and feasted upon. To taste, touch and sample everything.
The lunchtime of life is the journey of growing older (and hopefully wiser!) and understanding what you do and don’t like. Recognising that it’s okay to develop preferences and that the things you enjoyed in your younger days may not necessarily be things you like as you mature.
Dining like a pauper may sound a little harsh, but reading between the lines yields the idea of finding and enjoying a greater simplicity as you grow older. Understanding that the simpler things in life are often the best.
As I grow older, I have begun to trim away the excess, cutting down on extraneous matters which used to occupy my mind, so I can focus more on what’s truly important and identify what is simply background noise.
Is this something younger generations can learn sooner? Of course. By changing the focus on how we measure wealth and teaching our children about what is it to feel wealthy, we can show them how to recognise what is important in life.
The richest person in the world isn’t wealthy thanks to money or possessions but is simply happy with what they have.