When making a decision, it's essential to consider all of the factors involved. One of the most critical factors is desire - what do you want from this decision? Do you want to make more money? Be healthier? Spend more time with your family?
Desire is a powerful motivator, and it can help make tough decisions. However, desire can also lead to bad decisions if it's not tempered with reason and logic. Not to mention, desire can also make no decisions at all, and remain entirely docile.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of desire in decision-making, and we will explore both the good and the bad aspects of this motivating force.
If you want to understand and qualify the importance of desire in your life, motivation, discipline, and clarity, keep reading.
The Essence of Desire: What Is It?
Desire is the emotion/motion that drives us to take action or not take action. It's what makes us want things, and it's what propels us forward in life or backward.
We all have desires. Some are small, like wanting a new book or a piece of cake. Others are bigger, like wanting to start a family or get a promotion.
No matter the size or scope of our desires, they all come from the same place - they're all expressions of our emotions. And like all emotions/motions, desire is temporary.
It comes and goes, and it ebbs and flows. Desire is a constant and immovable and unchangeable prominent force in all things, and only on a deep, non-existential but constituent level does it belong permanently.
The Underlying Desire to All Desires: The Reason Why Desire-Based Fulfillment Is Temporary
The underlying desire to all desires is reasonably simply discovered if one applies himself to the process of finding it.
In essence, as human beings, imperfect as we are, we have an innate desire to unite with the intangible "infinite" aspects of life for an incredible amount of "eternal" time. This is seen as our attachment-based drive and lack of perceived-recognized connection with God, whatever that may mean to you.
Furthermore, most of our desires are expressions of this more profound desire. That is why so many people after they fulfill a wish, feel only temporary satisfaction at best.
For example, someone who gets a raise at work may initially feel happy and content. But after a few days or weeks, that feeling fades, and they're back to where they started. They may then begin to desire a new car, a bigger house, or a better job.
The same is true for other desires, like wanting to be thinner, wanting to be more intelligent, or wanting to be more popular. No matter what we desire, we will eventually return to that underlying desire for connection with the infinite.
And this is not to say that this underlying desire is unsatisfiable; it's just satisfiable outside our perceived reality. Hence, to be eternally united with the infinite as one, we cannot sustain the limited-base life as humans.
Thus, our primary goal in balancing desire is to find a way to maintain the best qualities of God/Divine while being able to retain our material core as to ascertain positive, more significant change unto the world, not the negative and debased (albeit, that is also part of and the whole of God).
The Difference Between Self-Imposed & Externally-Imposed Desires
It's essential to understand the difference between self-imposed and externally-imposed desires.
Self-imposed desires are those that we choose for ourselves. They're based on our values, goals, and aspirations. Albeit, they can be self-chosen in response to external influences.
Externally-imposed desires are forced on us by other people or external factors, like advertising, peer pressure, or social norms. However, it's essential to understand that no superficial desire can become our own until it passes the threshold of our allowance.
Self-imposed desires tend to be more fulfilling and satisfying because they're based on our values and goals. They're also more likely to lead to positive outcomes because we're more likely to take actions that align with our self-imposed desires.
Conversely, externally-imposed desires are often less fulfilling and satisfying because they're based on someone else's values or goals. They're also more likely to lead to adverse outcomes because we're less likely to take actions that align with our externally-imposed desires.
The Perception of the Good or Bad Qualities of Desire: How Can It Help or Hurt Us?
Desire can help or hurt us depending on our perception of its good or bad qualities.
If we view desire as something positive and helpful, then it can be a motivating force that drives us to achieve our goals.
It can also lead to positive outcomes because we're more likely to take actions that align with our self-imposed desires.
However, if we view desire as something harmful, then it can become a destructive force that leads us down a path of unfulfilled wishes and unachieved goals.
It can also lead to adverse outcomes because we're less likely to take actions that align with our externally-imposed desires.
Nevertheless, even good intentions can lead to poor and destructive outcomes if we're not mindful of the possible consequences of our actions. That's why it's essential to be aware of both the good and the bad qualities of desire before making any decisions.
The Good Qualities of Desire
- Desire can be a motivating force that drives us to achieve our goals.
- It can lead to positive outcomes because we're more likely to take actions that align with our self-imposed desires.
- It can help us overcome obstacles and challenges.
- It can provide us with a sense of purpose and direction.
- It can help us connect with our deeper values and aspirations.
The Bad Qualities of Desire
- Desire can become a destructive force if we're not mindful of its power.
- It can lead to unfulfilled wishes and unachieved goals.
- It can lead to adverse outcomes because we're less likely to take actions that align with our externally-imposed desires.
- It can cause us to act impulsively without considering the possible consequences of our actions.
- It can create feelings of frustration, disappointment, and inadequacy.
How Can We Balance Desire In A Way That Is Beneficial To Us?
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. However, here are a few general tips:
- Be aware of both the good and the bad qualities of desire before making any decisions.
- Consider the possible consequences of your actions before taking any steps.
- Be mindful of your intention and ensure it aligns with your values and goals.
- Don't let externally-imposed desires override your self-imposed desires.
- Let go of any attachment to the outcome and focus on the process.
The Power of the Question "Why?" for Getting Deep Into Core Desire
When making any decision, it's essential to get clear on your motivations. Why do you want what you want?
The question "Why?" is the great destroyer and remover of illusion. It's also the key to uncovering our deepest desires.
Whenever we're unclear about our motivations, we can ask ourselves, "Why?" until we get to the root of the matter. For example, if we want a new car, we can ask ourselves, "Why do I want a new car?"
If our answer is something like "Because I deserve it" or "Because it will make me happy." There's nothing wrong with wanting nice things; there's nothing wrong with them fulfilling our emotional expenditure.
However, we must keep asking, "Why?" until we get to the core of our desire. We need to understand the truth about our wants so that we do not become deluded in the infinite race for feeling, being, and experiencing just within reach, not beyond the next mile.
Ultimately, understanding our motivations is essential for making decisions that align with our deepest desires. It's also necessary to take actions likely to lead to positive outcomes.
Why You Should Avoid Being A Motivated Person
Contrary to many opinions and socially-programmed perceptions, motivation is a fool's game. It's short-lived, excited by neurochemicals, and presupposed on a possible outcome. And if you're caught up in this game, you're not only wasting energy but also setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration.
The truth is motivation doesn't last. It's an emotion that comes and goes. And when it's gone, you're left with nothing to fall back on.
What does last, however, is discipline. Discipline is the quality of being able to stick to your goals even when you don't feel like it.
It's about doing what needs to be done regardless of how you feel at the moment. Motivation is an excellent tool for building discipline; that's how you should use it.
Another level higher than discipline is simply clarity. When you have clarity regarding how you perceive the world, as seeing through the veil, through the bullshit - you can enjoy the fruits of directed and clear purpose.
You know what, why, how, when, where, and everything else. Things just make sense, and you are progressing slowly but surely, sometimes quickly and certainly.
Desires Will Come And Go: Clarity Must Stay
Desire is a powerful force that can have both positive and negative impacts on our lives.
It's essential to be aware of its power and to use it in a way that is beneficial to us. We can do this by being mindful of our intention, considering the possible consequences of our actions, and letting go of any attachment to the outcome.
When we get clear on our motivation for wanting what we want, we can make better decisions that are more likely to lead to positive outcomes.
And finally, when we focus on building discipline and clarity, we set ourselves up for success regardless of how we feel in the moment.