Think About Your “Desires” — What’ll Bring You True Happiness?
“Our desires always increase with our possessions; the knowledge that something remains yet unenjoyed, impairs our enjoyment of the good before us.”
— Samuel Johnson
We all have desires in life. Desires to become rich. Desires to generate $500,000 in sales this year. Desires to become a famous entrepreneur. Desires to want to be the best. Desires to create change in the world. Desires. Desires. Desires.
Over the years of chasing my dream to become a successful entrepreneur, my desires have been manifold. So many, at times, that it’s hard to keep track of them. But it always surprises me when I fulfill desires that I believe will bring about true happiness, really don’t.
Will making a million dollars tomorrow make you the happiest person in the world? Will closing that huge deal wash away all of your problems? Will being mentioned in a book or magazine make you jump up for joy?
Ahh… yeah! Those things will probably bring about happiness. Let’s keep it real: money, fame, and being able to close huge deals makes us feel good. Damn good! Our egos grow, our wallets get fatter, and more people in the world know about us. Rock on!
But is that it? After the money, the cars, the fame, the mansions, the TV appearances, the whatever… what else? Will those things be enough to sustain your well-being — to bring you everlasting happiness? Once you fulfill your desires, what will you do? Will you dream up some more desires? Will you set new goals in order to get back that rush of chasing something?
What am I getting at here? I am trying to make you think about how your desires affect who you are as a person and whether or not they will truly bring about peace and happiness.
Not too long ago I had an epiphany about my future and my desires. Sure, I desire to become extremely wealthy and well known. But will those things be the answer? Will they define me? Will I be remembered for the person who made money and was well known? I truly hope not.
Those things — wealth, notability, and material possessions — are fun and convenient. And, yes, I do want them. I do desire them. But at the same time I am fully aware that they will not bring me happiness. Those desires give no meaning to my life. In the larger scheme of things, they mean absolutely nothing to me.
They are a means to an end. That end being able to give back to the world. That’s what’ll bring true happiness. Knowing that what I am creating is helping put food in mouths of hungry children, combating global warming, fighting cancer and AIDS, and giving back to my family which have invested love, money, guidance, and unwavering support for what I am doing.
The purpose of this article was to spark your mind on what “desires” really mean to you. Spend some time reflecting and meditating on that question. Think about what will “really” bring you sustained and true happiness in life. Imagine you had everything in the world… all the money, all the fame, all homes, all the EVERYTHING…. Now ask yourself: now what?
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