More - #24

“There's only one true luxury in the world, and that's a private jet.” — Sam Zell

Yes, most of us will never own a private jet. And yes, there’s some tongue-in-cheek bravado in that quote. But underneath the humor is a deeper message for most of us non-billionaires.

Sam Zell may have been talking about jets, but the message we can take away is something much more relevant.

We are wired for more.

More money.
More success.
More status.
More stuff.

The problem isn’t wanting more, the problem is not understanding why we want it in the first place.

More Stuff

If you listen to the full conversation behind Zell’s quote, he makes a subtle but powerful observation: once your basic needs are met, most “luxury” is simply the same thing, just newer, bigger, or faster.

The starter home becomes the house in the suburbs. The house in the suburbs becomes the dream home.

The first car becomes the sedan. The sedan becomes the SUV. The SUV becomes the 911.

Functionally? They all serve similar purposes.

This doesn’t mean ambition is wrong. It means the why matters.

Are you upgrading for status? Or for utility?

For ego? Or for experiences?

If the next level object improves your life (brings joy, freedom, connection) then pursue it intentionally.

If it’s just to keep pace with someone else’s highlight reel, you’ll never arrive.

More Success

The same pattern shows up in our careers.

We grind for the next promotion.
The next raise.
The next title.

Because that’s what we’ve been taught success looks like.

But rarely do we stop to ask: At what point does “more” meaningfully improve my life? At what point does it simply become a scoreboard?

Success without reflection becomes a treadmill. You’re moving. You’re sweating. You’re exhausted. But you’re still in the same place.

More income is powerful, if it buys time.
More responsibility is meaningful,  if it builds mastery.
More influence matters, if it increases impact.

But if it only to feed you ego, you will never be satisfied.

Using “More” Correctly

If you know me, you know I appreciate the finer things. A nice car, a fine watch, etc.

But none of those define who I am. And none of them, on their own, make life meaningful.

What they can do is amplify connection.

Every weekend, I spend a couple of hours with my son driving around the backroads of Tennessee. It’s not about showing off my “stuff”.. It’s about time together. Shared interest. Memory building.

The car is the vehicle (literally and metaphorically), but the real luxury is the relationship.

That’s the difference between chasing more and using more.

Final Thought

The search for more is not the enemy. Blindly chasing it is.

There is nothing wrong with ambition. Nothing wrong with upgrading your life. Nothing wrong with enjoying success.

Just don’t confuse accumulation with fulfillment.

Additional Resources

• Book: Die With Zero by Bill Perkins

  • A powerful reminder that wealth is meant to be converted into experiences — not just stored.

• Podcast: The Knowledge Project — “How to Define Enough”

• Stoic Quote of the Month: “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus

  • Contentment is not the absence of ambition. It is ambition aligned with gratitude.