Desire Management

We all have many desires, both short-term, like craving a specific food, and long-term, like buying a car. For the most part, having desires is beneficial, as it gives us the motivation to overcome our struggles, but there are downsides too. Everyone knows we can't always get what we want, and when you think about it, there's nothing wrong with that. If we could have everything we desired, anytime we wished, our lives would lose all meaning; it would be like playing a game with cheat codes enabled. In short, a life without challenges is a life without purpose.

On the other hand, if we never achieve any of our desires, we can become very frustrated. I'm guilty of feeling this way sometimes, and I'm sure you are too. I wonder where that feeling comes from. Is it because we tend to desire only those things that are out of reach? However, wanting things beyond our reach is natural; if we could easily obtain them, we wouldn't want them—or at least not as much. Nevertheless, I wonder why I'm feeling so frustrated lately. Is it because I want too much, or simply because I'm not trying hard enough? Regardless of the reason, my only options are to either give up on my desires or to try harder to fulfill them.

Complaining won't get us anywhere. Most people would rather sit by and do nothing except whine, and meanwhile, their goals don't get any closer to becoming a reality. The universe is completely indifferent to our feelings: it doesn't care about our frustration, our desires, much less our dreams. Therefore, if we want something, we must take action; otherwise, we had better lower our expectations. Both of these paths can be hard, especially taking action. However, if we aren't working to get what we want, we are probably just wasting our lives away, for it's our desires that give us purpose.

One thing it took me a long time to realize is that I overthink my decisions. Acting impulsively can be dangerous, but I genuinely believe that overthinking is worse. There are times when your mind wants one thing, but your heart wants another. If you're not enjoying the process of pursuing a goal, perhaps it's because you desire it in your head and not in your heart. Life has been teaching me that I won't be truly happy unless I start paying more attention to what my heart desires, and maybe you should do the same.