We are taught that to stand still is to fall back. We must keep striving for more and never be satisfied in order to grow. And isn’t growth the holy grail? But what if the secret to satisfaction is not to increase what we have? What if it is to manage our wants even if that means wanting less? Getting off the treadmill of constant growth can lead to a happier, more satisfied life.
Rev. Doug McCusker is a UU minister living in Fredericksburg, Virginia, who retired on June 30, 2024 after completing 10 years of ministry, including 9 years at the UU Fellowship of Fredericksburg. Since 2016, he has facilitated a prison ministry with a UU Group at the Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, VA. Doug is a certified Mindfulness Outdoor Guide and leads groups in an outdoor sensory immersion practice known as Forest Bathing. Before going into ministry, he retired from a 32-year career as a cartographer and systems engineer with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.