Why do people have the desire for everything?
Do you find joy in little things and achievements?
Because people are not satisfied with their life and what they have achieved in their life.
Even if they achieve something, the happiness won’t last long.
People search for satisfaction elsewhere every time they reach something.
So they think the next thing will make them more satisfied and happy.
When they reach the next goal, they realize that the thing achieved just now is not bringing the happiness they have expected.
They don’t realize how happy they are in reaching their goal.
People are unable to enjoy the best moments in their life.
The Joy is missing from everything. They are searching for it everywhere else.
We focus only on the destination (goals) instead of enjoying the beautiful journey to reach there.
It is like we are eating a delicious meal with our noses closed tight.
We can say we ate tasty food, but we did not experience its taste, which is crucial for a delightful meal.
The following are the two words that we must be aware of to bring happiness in life.
1) Get rid of “More” to be happy in your life
99.99% of our desires, upon fulfillment, give the satisfaction that lasts only for a short time.
The most happiness is felt on your journey from the point of desire formation and achieving the goal, than attaining it.
So it is the journey that matters, not the destination.
Because when we are at the destination or goal, what we feel after the short period of happiness is the question “What’s Next?”
We keep scrolling through the pages in our “book of life” instead of staying on the page we found very interesting and makes us happy.
We are looking for more happiness. More Joy. More satisfaction.
More of everything. More! More!! More!!!
The only thing we cannot satisfy is our mind. The human mind is a complex creation and a natural wonder.
It has unlimited space to include the thing “More .”We are constantly trying to fill the infinite expanse of our Minds.
The mind demands it. It is hungry for more. It is starving for more. The craving for “More.”
We cannot satisfy its hunger. Nobody can fill their mind or utilize at least 1% of their space in their entire lifetime.
And without knowing that, we are trying to feed it with “More .”
This word gives us only misery.
“More” is the word you need to get rid of, to be happy in your life.
Sticking to More won’t give satisfaction or allow you to find joy in little things in our life.
Have a close look at the picture below.
The donkey in the above picture tries to get the carrot hanging in front of it, tied to a pole connected to its back, by walking towards the carrot.
The donkey keeps on walking and walking towards the carrot to get it. It even tries to walk faster to get the carrot.
The Donkey will try to get the carrot even if its belly is full. But the donkey will never get the carrot, no matter how hard it tries.
The donkey is not aware of the actual situation. By just using a carrot, we could control the donkey very easily.
The donkey will try through its entire life to get to that carrot. The poor thing will never understand it.
We humans are exactly like that same donkey.
We see many carrots in front of us. “Carrots” in the form of money, car, big house, luxurious life, career, social status, and many more.
The funny thing is that we put the carrots in front of ourselves.
Not anyone else !!
His master tricks the donkey.
We are being fooled by ourselves !!
Now tell me, who is crazy? Humans or the donkey?
We will go on like this in life forever and ever.
We buy silly things which we don’t want, with the money we don’t have to show the people we don’t like.
Our mind has been conditioned with so many superstitious beliefs from society.
We believe it to be accurate because everyone else is doing it.
We are like sheep going one after another.
The first sheep goes on a path, and the other sheep follow it even if the first sheep is taking the wrong direction. It’s called Herd Mentality.
We repeat our lives just like the others are doing. Eat, work, sleep & Repeat.
We are just going on as we got in a loop. We are doing the same thing again and again. Then we die like the donkey.
If we want to change it, there is only one thing we can do.
Become aware of ourselves trying to get the carrots (achievements) without enjoying life’s beautiful journey.
According to the great philosopher and writer, Jiddu Krishnamurti :
“Humans have been trying to solve one thing from the beginning – sorrow.”
Man is always sorrow-ridden. He fears losing someone or something, pain, guilt, hope, despair, etc.
He tries to avoid it and runs away from it.
He tries all things like drinking, using drugs, seeking the company of women, seeking spirituality, blindly following some guru, going to church or temple, etc.
There is no such thing known as “free-thinking.” Everything we think is conditioned by the books we read, the culture we stand in, and the practices we follow.
These are the backgrounds that supply the thinking.
As a result of this thinking, we seek “more” in life, thinking it will solve all our problems.
When we become aware of ourselves, we will stop pursuing stupid and silly things in life.
2) Embrace “Enough” in life to find joy in little things.
Our body is opposite to our Mind.
Our body understands the word “Enough” than the word “MORE.”
But our body can’t take “More .” We cannot eat or drink “More” than our limit, as our stomach capacity won’t allow us. We cannot exercise “More” as our muscles will start aching after some workout.
Our minds can imagine having sex with five sexual partners at a time. But our body can’t take that many partners at any given time.
Because it’s easy to satisfy bodily desires quickly as the body cant take “More” beyond its capacity.
It gets fulfilled easily with “Enough.”
We can train our Minds with “Enough” to give up the “More .”It’s a tedious process but not impossible.
Have our Minds filled with realistic ideas than having superhuman fantasies.
Our life in this world is Limited. We are living a limited life with unlimited thoughts.
We cant get every material thing we want in life.
Even with our current latest technology, We can’t visit every place on earth in our lifetime.
We cant learn and speak every language on earth in this lifetime.
We cant read all the books ever written till day within our entire lifetime.
Most of us are unaware of our mind’s unfulfilled desire for “More .”
The moment you become aware of your limits and accept our life as it is, you are the happiest person on earth.
The following is written by Kurt Vonnegut based on a great conversation with his writer friend Joe Heller, famous for his book “catch-22”.
The New Yorker published this in May 2005.
“Joe Heller”
True story, Word of Honor;
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer who is
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a wealthy billionaire
on Shelter Island.
I said: “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your famous novel “Catch-22.”
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I have got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe replied: “The knowledge that I have got enough.”!!!
Not bad!! Rest in peace!!
-by Kurt Vonnegut
The key to happiness in life
This universe is full of mysteries. We human beings are one of them. We are one of a kind, unique in many aspects.
So far, the progress we have made is unachievable for any other living being on earth.
When comparing the life situations such as safety, comfort, and physical well-being with people in the older generation, we are the luckiest and most advanced generation to have these privileges.
But the question that arises here is, are we experiencing real happiness more than our older generation?
We have everything when compared to older humans in history. But does that make us happier than them?
We always feel like we are missing something.
What is missing here?
Do we know what it is?
Do we know what we are seeking?
Or
Are we aware of that?
The answer lies in the question itself,
“Awareness.”
People achieve everything without consciousness or awareness.
Bringing consciousness and awareness into life helps you to be happy in your life, and you will find joy in the little things in your life.
Achieving a state of Awareness in life has great importance.
In the same way, staying in a state of Awareness is also crucial. It needs practice.
Once it has become a habit, you will be living your life blissfully.
Conclusion
Why are we constantly seeking something?
Because we are unhappy, dissatisfied, lonely, fearful & unloved, we feel like we are missing something in life.
So we try to look everywhere to find that something.
Looking for material things or ways to find out how to be happy in your life?
Even if we got something, we look for “more” of it again.
We don’t even know to say the word “enough” in our lives.
Our minds are conditioned to have more of everything in life.
This is where consciousness or awareness can help.
With self-awareness we will reach that stage in life, finding happiness in small things.
Being aware that you have got “enough” of everything will solve all your problems.
Being aware of our conditioned thinking can burn away all the problems in our life.
Stay tuned!!
Stay aware!!
