Why Do We Chase Things We Don’t Actually Want?
In a world that is full of opportunities, it is ironic that most of the time we chase things that, at heart, do not really mean much to us. Maybe it is a career where we sought stability, or a lifestyle that we would admire from afar, or perhaps a habit that society glamorizes. Most times, we realize that we are running after a dream that does not feel right.
Maybe it is because we are taught early that success is something that is marked by particular milestones, good salary, a clean house, popularity, or material security. We accept all this without ever asking why we do so, and many times we do it just to fulfill the expectations of others; we do it in order to gain the approval of family, friends, or even society in general. We think we’ll be happy if we get all those boxes ticked. Do these achievements satisfy us, or merely provide a placeholder to make it easier not to have what we really want?
There is the fear of stagnation as well. We live in a culture that is supposed to celebrate productivity, ambition, and movement. We make people feel like they are failing if they don’t keep moving and don’t re-evaluate their way. So, we move ahead, chasing after whatever may give us a sense of purpose, even if it doesn’t serve us very well. Ironically, while we are in all this striving, we lose focus on what will give us real joy and meaning in life.
But if we were to pause and reflect on our self, *Am I really happy on this path?* This takes courage, facing such a question with thought over what we will pursue not being bound up in the expectations or by the fear. Life is very precious, and too short, to fill it up with hollow pursuits.
Maybe then that the trip is not something about incessant achievement, but discovery of what in our lives really matters to us. So here goes a deeper question for some reflection, If all the pressure, the noise, and all other folks’ opinions were gone for good, what would I really want to do?
