How to control your desires and still be happy?
Happiness is a myth, said my friend who walked with me while returning from her job in the corporate sector. Her response came after I asked her if she is happy and satisfied with her job. She started elaborating how her career goals were so huge that she doesn’t really have time to think if she is happy or not. All it matters to her is to complete her given tasks at the job, make major investments, and also start improving her financial life with earning more money as the focus.
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When I intervened about how she can still be happy without having to worry about her financial future, she told me that I am being impractical and had not well-thought about my own future. Well, that is her understanding and I really cannot debate over it. But I realized one fact for sure once a person has made up his or her mind about how he or she wants to achieve their desires, then there is no looking back. Even if they go through hell, they will keep thinking that it is all for their future security and keep tolerating all kinds of problems in life without changing their own plans of limiting their desires.
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It is only after they reach the extreme end that they think that whatever they did in the past was incorrect and they could have been a little flexible in changing their thinking and lifestyles to have enjoyed all the missed small joyful moments and happiness in life. So, how do we really understand which desire is good and which is harmful to our present and future in life? Is there a rulebook to have desires, many may ask? But the fact is when you get birth in this lifetime, there is no fixed formula for success in life.
You need to create your own path and design your life’s journey keeping in mind the desires that are healthy and not coming your way. So, for example, if you already have a corporate job with fixed work timings and a hefty bank balance, you need to know HOW MUCH you really want to satisfy your wants or needs in life. Are you planning to leave wealth to your future generations just like the Ambanis or Tatas? Or are you someone who just wants a mediocre life with not much hardships and pain? It is for you to really decide what is that bracket you want to draw when your basic desires get fulfilled.
For example, when your basic desires get achieved, if you are someone who craves more and more, then you are inviting huge troubles in your life. Because this world has sufficient for everyone but it doesn’t have enough for people who are greedy and have no self-control. You can think leading a luxurious life will give you the Moksha in this lifetime, but for achieving that, what is it that you are giving away – is it the quality family time, or is it something that you never want to lose but are missing out due to your uncontrollable desires.