Against the Void
I used to think the void was a problem inside me: a sense of emptiness that a fuller life was supposed to fix. I thought I could fill it by buying things, building something, or staying productive. I believed that for a long time.
I no longer expect an object or a finished piece of work to settle that feeling for me. What I want changes. Getting something I wanted does not settle what I will want next, or what it will mean to me once I have it.
I tried keeping busy. I bought closer approximations of the life I saw in ads, or made things myself and put my name on them. Creating felt more respectable than consuming. Both gave me something to do, and for a while the feeling was quieter. When I stopped, it returned.
Another possibility is to look without immediately trying to fix what I see. That is how I have come to think about 观, or observing. I can notice an object and the desire it brings up without having to buy it, dismiss it, or turn the experience into something useful. The desire can be there for a while without requiring an answer.
I find this harder than buying or building. There is no visible result to point to. I have not made the feeling disappear. I am learning to keep it company.