In the pursuit of desire

Desire is a part of our human experience. To ostracise desire and label it evil is being unfair and unkind to our entire experience.

It would be like complaining about our right arm all the time and saying “I wish I didn’t have it”.

It is part of us and we must understand its purpose and utility.

Oftentimes, it is not the desire itself. But it’s the expectation of its fulfilment that causes pain.

To want something is not wrong.

But to expect to have it causes suffering.

If desire is used to further human experience, it becomes a force of positivity. It motivates us to be better.

The desire to lose weight, to feel better, to excel at work, to be a better father, to be a better wife – they are all desires. Without them, we could not function.

But there is a dark side to desire.

Its ability to blindside us.

The power of desire lies in motivating us to grow and change in its pursuit. But we focus on the outcome.

We want it all! And when we don’t get it, we experience pain. The pain of not having met our desire.

To regain control, we must focus on the journey. The path to its fulfilment, and not the outcome.

Focusing on the journey towards its fulfilment is what elevates our experience. The shift in perspective enables us to be true to our identity and principles.

We don’t overshadow ourselves by the outcome.

Sure, we may never get to the end. But in the process, we become better than who we were. We expand our potential and grow through the challenges the pursuit presents.

The pursuit of desire is what excels us. Not its fulfilment.

Ofcourse, not all desires are created equal. And we have to use judgement to separate desire that elevates us from that which binds us.

One sets us free.

The other keeps us its prisoner.