pleasures are meaningless

ecclesiastes 2:1-11
"I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives." v.3
"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun." v.10-11

i find that when i blog about my devos, it helps me sort out the things going through my head :) i think this passage really struck me because as in v.3, i find i always hear about people trying to make their lives worthwhile, or living life to the maximum because life is only so short, having to do something "crazy" or "exciting" just to bring meaning into life.... and it really kind of struck me to find this sentence in the Bible about something that is soo..apparent today. i guess it really is all about ourselves, about the individual, about satisfying our own hearts. I think this is obvious in verse 12 when Solomon says "when I surveyed all that my hands had done", "what I had toiled to achieve".
in my devo book, it had this line: "Solomon was successful by every worldly standard, yet complete satisfaction escaped him". i think i struggle a lot with this "worldly standard" and at times it's different to discern where that standard is too much because we grow up and sometimes it becomes our standard. i also struggle with it a lot because you see how people are trying to achieve or follow these worldy standards? beauty, drinking, success, wealth, pride/boasting... and i'm completely a sucker to these things as well... but i guess everything is always about bringing it back to Jesus and living for "an audience of One" (i have no idea where that is from).
i think this verse is encouraging.. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Jesus has overcome the world ^^