What does “having it all” mean to you? Is it attainable?

Fame. Fortune. Perfect health. An amazing spouse and an awesome house. Those things probably came to mind for most of us at first when we read the prompt, but I feel there’s more.

Let’s answer that second question first. The simple answer is “no” we cannot “have it all”. I’ll talk about why I think that later.

“Having it all” to me means being able to have everything your heart desires and then more.

All those things in life you see that make your mind say “I wish” or “I want” (even in the smallest, faintest voice that you don’t consciously register) are part of the problem.

I wish the weather would clear up.

I wish this thing I really want to buy was discounted.

I want to spend time with my friends/family.

The reason I throw those examples out first is to show a little bit of where my mind drifts towards after the most common thoughts. It would be amazing to have all the material things and money we want, but life would also feel a little empty if we didn’t have family and friends to spend time with.

Time is probably the real key here. The reason none of this is ultimately possible is because there simply isn’t enough time, and when our time expires we can’t take anything with us. “Having it all” would mean, to me, also being able to live forever, and that’s something we can’t do.