Should you be happy with what you have or should you go after fulfilling your desires?
This question causes massive amounts of internal conflict within a person because the two options seem to be in conflict with one another…
Both paths are supposed to lead you to a destination of happiness, one by being happy with what you have, and the other by being happy once your desires are fulfilled…
If you’re grateful for what you have, you'd be happy…
But if you fulfil your desires you’ll also be happy…
So which path is the right path for a fulfilling life…?
You’re not going to like this answer but both are necessary for a complete life…
You see, the ability to hold paradoxes is a sign of evolved consciousness…
Because many beliefs are dualistic and seem to be in juxtaposition to one another, most people will say one thing is right and the other thing is wrong, but in reality both are correct and incorrect simultaneously…
If you get stuck with one belief or the other you will eventually suffer…
For example, if you believe that being happy with what you’ve got is enough, but then notice desires naturally arising within and you do not try and fulfil those desires then you are going to be in resistance to yourself…
Or if you believe that attaining your desires is the way to experience happiness then sooner or later you are going to become unfulfilled when you realise it is a never ending cycle of desire and attainment…
The secret is to know that both are true…
Let me explain…
We exist in different plains…
There is the physical plane and then there is the metaphysical plane…
Within the physical plane we would attain happiness by fulfilling our needs, but as you’re aware this is a never ending cycle of desire and attainment…
Within the metaphysical plane our needs are already met and so by being grateful we tune into a space where everything is whole and complete…
If we try to take one path or the other we are always going to be missing something…
The physical path is a cycle of lack and fulfilment…
The metaphysical path is impossible to sustain because after all you are a human who needs to eat, feel safe and feel like you matter…
These needs are where your desires arise from, they are natural and to deny them would be denying nature which will be met with resistance…
“If you argue with reality you will suffer”
- John Templeton
Resistance puts you into a worse emotional state than if you were to simply accept your desires for what they are and then follow a path of trying to fulfil them…
By accepting your desires you come out of a state of resistance, your emotions will clear and your path forward will reveal itself…
So to answer the question in greater detail, should you be grateful for what you have or should you aim to fulfil your desires.
Both…
Let me put a concept forward to you…
If you want to be grateful for what you have, and you have desires, can you not be grateful for your desires? What would happen then?
You would then come out of resistance and into the present moment…
Then when you’re in the present moment the problem no longer exists and you will experience an enlightening and inspiring feeling come across you…
The only reason you're ever out of the present moment is because your mind is trying to solve a problem…
This is how we become more empowered in life through answering more and more complex questions…
The question of “should you be grateful for what you have or should you try to attain your desires is a complex question”...
And the answer is you should do both simultaneously…
How…?
By accepting and appreciating your desires for what they are and not judging them as wrong or bad…
Full acceptance is what leads to love, and love is what leads to inspiration…
Once you’re in a state of presence or love, true desires in the form of inspiration will arise from within you and off you go on your next adventure…
I use the word true desire because there are two different types of desire…
There is an authentic desire which is fueled by the soul, and then there is a desire that is fueled from the ego…
The primary difference is the state in which the desire arises from…
If the desire is born out of emotion it will fuel the ego, if the desire is born out of love it will fuel the soul…
For example, if you feel deeply unworthy and then seek to attain fame you’re operating from ego desire and will continue to cycle through cycles of unfulfilling endeavors as you try to prove yourself worthy…
Or if you are frustrated with a friend and then seek to bad mouth them behind their back then once again you are operating from ego desire…
If you are successful and full of pride and seek to maintain your status by pretending to be perfect in the public eye by paying for a media article to talk positively about you then you are operating from ego desire…
These are all examples of disempowered desires that only serve to keep you on a hamster wheel or desire and attainment unless you learn to love yourself more…
Then there is a true desire, or a soul's desire which arises organically out of the present moment from a place of love…
Here are some core differences…
Ego Desire
Born out of an emotional state
Will involve an attachment to someone or something
Will involve a fear of not attaining it or if it’s been attained a fear of losing it
Will involve an “if/then” dynamic (means to an end)
Focused on attaining something greater externally to fulfil an internal void…
Authentic Desire
Born out of the present moment
Will involve a sort of indifference (non - attachment)
No fear of loss or gain
Will involve “as/then” dynamic (end within itself)
Focused on becoming something greater internally as a pathway to higher potential
All desires arise automatically, they spring forward into your mind, but it is down to your discernment whether you follow that desire or not…
This is great work, understanding yourself enough to know the difference between an authentic desire and an ego desire…
You see, gratitude is the gateway to grace, and when you are in a state of grace you will have authentic desires…
Then when you follow those authentic desires you live a much more abundant life…
So the key really is to be grateful for what you have, including your desires, and when you do that you will access a higher level of consciousness…
When you can truly appreciate that desires are part of life, and you can appreciate that those desires will come with problems and that problems are a part of life, and you can appreciate your problems, then you are well on your way to mastery…
Having appreciation for what is separates you from needing to change anything or needing to attain anything…
The moment this happens you become free from attachments, free from the resistance inside and free to follow your authentic desires with an open heart…
Here is the sequence of events of an ego desire…
Feeling negative (ungrateful)
Desire arises to attain something positive
Take action towards attaining that ego desire
Face challenges (with frustration)
Learn and grow internally
Attain the desire
Experience temporary happiness
Repeat…
Here is the sequence of events of an authentic desire…
Become grateful for what you have, including your desires
From that state of abundance notice what arises, this is known as your purpose
Take inspired action towards attaining that authentic desire
Face challenges (and appreciate those)
Learn and grow internally
Attain the desire
Become grateful for what you have, including your new desires
Repeat…
You can see that both involve cycles that repeat, however an authentic desire will be a more enjoyable journey and support you in self actualising as a human whereas an ego desire will keep you running circles of unfulfilling endeavours…
An ego desire will keep you sick, an authentic desire will keep you well…
An ego desire will be hard work, an authentic desire will seem to manifest quite quickly…
There is a payoff to being authentic, and that is a life of inspiration and magic but it is far easier said than done because it is part of our human nature to be dissatisfied, become emotional and then have ego desires run our lives…
In order to step into authenticity you have to get beyond your judgemental mind of what is right or wrong, you must get beyond any distraction and even beyond any actions…
You have to bring yourself so deeply into a state of presence and internal abundance that you feel like you have everything you ever need within that moment…
It is only from that place of wholeness that your soul’s authentic desires will arise along with the inspiration to attain those desires…
It is only from that place that you can truly create a life that you love…
Become More, Live More, Give More.
John
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