Make Peace With Desire

I consider myself to be the opposite of a hoarder. For example, I get a dopamine rush from giving things away and owning as little as possible. I’ve also traded in peak psychedelic experiences for daily meditation. Even my wanderlust spirit has been eased by feeling joy and appreciation for the journey, rather than racing towards the next destination. I’ve found the old adage of, “wherever you go, there you are” to be accurate. Despite this lessening attachment towards collecting possessions and dots on a map, I still experience waves suffering related to impermanence and desire.

Since the dawn of Disney mass-culture brainwashing, a yearning to find “the one” (romantically speaking) has been undoubtedly prominent. This universal fantasy has engendered immeasurable degrees of personal and collective disappointment. Having not yet realized my happily ever after, in that regard, I began to question the root cause of desire. This was a desperate attempt to feel at peace with what is, despite the lack of physical evidence that my dreams will eventually come to fruition.

As I reflected deeply, a state of apathy consumed me. Feelings of emptiness and minimal satisfaction relating to anything attainable were all-pervasive. I felt plagued by the fact that even if I did find someone to spend my life with, that person would die. Or I would die first, inevitably equating any scenario to pain and loss. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that I was only focusing on the negative aspects of impermanence.

Impermanence and desire are essential to life.
If seeds were not impermanent, they could never transform into plants and food. If a sperm and egg were not impermanent, it could never evolve into an embryonic state; ultimately resulting in the birth of a child. Desire is what motivates us to get out of bed in the morning and to eat. Its the driving force underneath all living things. Perhaps it’s even the cause of the infinitely expansive universe.

So in essence, desire is perfectly natural. However, infinity is a bottomless bucket that cannot be filled. Through the practical application of the law of attraction, I believe that it is possible to create a life beyond our wildest dreams. Yet, there will always be more to be desired. Once we realize this through our own experience, we begin to change. We hold the power to shift our relationship with a desire to one of contentment and appreciation. By understanding the futile nature of material pursuit, we can begin to consume more mindfully. Letting go of the incessant calculation of whether or not our present life scenario is giving us what we want takes continuous practice…And it’s probably worth it.

“When one masters this wretched desire, which is so hard to overcome, then one’s sorrows drop off, like a drop of water off a lotus. “
-Buddha