Hi friends,

I wanted to share a little reflection with you today about something we all experience—our desires, ambitions, and goals. Whether it's a new job, a dream vacation, or simply the next weekend, we all have things we look forward to and work towards. In many ways, these desires give our lives direction and motivation.

But here’s something interesting to ponder: Have you ever noticed that once you achieve what you’ve been longing for, the satisfaction doesn’t last as long as you thought it would? Maybe it’s that promotion you worked so hard for, an exam you focused on, or that trip you’ve been planning for months. It feels amazing at first, but soon enough, that satisfaction becomes ephemeral and you’re looking for the next thing.

Here is a reflection from Joseph Goldstein, author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, in an interview I listened to recently:

“What's interesting to notice about the seductive power of the world is that when we look back over the years at all our past experiences, they have an ephemeral nature. Anything we accomplished and felt happy about … Where are these experiences now? But somehow, and this is what's so extraordinary about our minds, while we know from our own experience that things are ephemeral, yet when we look ahead, we become fascinated by all the great potentials and possibilities of what we can do. Anticipating the next event in our lives, the next project we're undertaking, the next relationship. We are leaning forward into the unfolding of our lives. This is the habit of our minds. Even though we know that all these experiences we’re looking forward to will soon pass and be like all the others.”

This cycle of wanting, achieving, and then wanting more can leave us feeling unfulfilled. Still, what if we saw these desires as a pathway to something deeper and more meaningful, as a means to discover and explore?

“Have you realised that sometimes when you sit with this breath and anticipate the next one? Do you think the next one is going to be any more fulfilling than this one?” Joseph Goldstein

What if our desires and ambitions are stepping stones to discover ourselves? While they might not bring lasting satisfaction on their own, they offer us valuable opportunities to practice mindfulness and discover what truly matters to us. By paying attention to how we feel before, during, and after achieving our goals, we can learn a lot about ourselves. We start to see the patterns in our thoughts and emotions and understand that the joy of reaching a goal is self-learning and self-discovery.

This awareness is powerful. It helps us to live more in the present moment, appreciating what we have right now rather than constantly chasing the next thing. It also leads us to a deeper sense of spiritual growth. When we observe our ambitions without becoming too attached to them, we find a kind of freedom and can enjoy the journey of discovery and learning.

I came across this amazing clip from English actor Stephen Fry (one of my super favorites!) about two ways of living our lives:

“There are two ways to live: One way is to know what you want to be, like a grocer or a general or a politician or a judge, then you will invariably become it. That is your punishment. However, there is another way to live, a dynamic life, what I call an artistic life. If each day you are unsure of who you are, then you will never become anything, and that is your reward.”

Reflection:  Do you feel that goals and milestones can be means to discover ourselves? How does this invitation resonate with you?

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