“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he afford to let alone” — Henry David Thoreau
Not the least of which “things” are beliefs, ideals, ought to’s, should haves, fears, and maybe even loves, too. It is good to have thoughts, if for no other reason than to watch them float away like clouds. As the Tao Te Ching suggests, emptiness is useful beyond all material things:
We mould clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful.