"Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want".
Naval Ravikant
We live under constant pressure to have goals - to do, to achieve, to always be striving.
We make it a point of asking kids and adults what their goals are.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What are your new year resolutions?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?!
Sure, a future vision has its uses. But it comes at a hefty price.
Every want and goal is like a worm in your brain. They take up time and mind space. They rob you of contentment and of the joy of just be-ing.
We tend to pick our wants too quickly, too casually, too mimetically.
I know a friend who wanted a large house…the classic American dream. But regretted getting one because they felt isolated and bored in the suburbs.
I know at least a handful of people who have wanted to be managers, advisors, or startup founders. They like the idea of it - the title, the fame, the money, or the perception of being a leader. But they end up disliking the job.
I know people who want to have a good community and circle of friends, but hate the process of meeting new people.
Most people want to look fit, but dislike the routine of exercise and diet.
We need to be far more intentional and judicious about the wants we pick up consciously, or often, subconsciously.
For all current and future aspirations, ask if you’d actually enjoy the day-to-day and the whole lifestyle experience of both pursuing it and living it once you attain it.
If not, don’t waste your life and peace climbing the wrong ladder.
Free your mind for the few things that do meet the bar. Or enjoy the joy of just being.
This message very much resonates with me. I too, so often, want things and want them NOW. It is a lot of do do dos, and not enough just being present.