“…people are programmed to desire, not to appreciate.” –Matt Ridley
Imagine if we had the ability to appreciate as much as we desire.
Imagine if the things we appreciated were all that we desire.
We might not get as much accomplished, but we’d probably be a little happier. Maybe, a little more content.
As infants, we’re 99.99% desire. It’s the only way we can survive, connect, learn, and thrive.
As we grow, our desires get more advanced. We visualize, fantasize, dream, and hope. We talk about the things we’re going to do, the places we’ll see, the people we’ll meet, the mountains we’ll climb.
In all of this, there’s little time for appreciation. We don’t have time to reflect. We’re too busy fulfilling our dreams, finding the next challenge, quenching our desire.
When was the last time you purposely spent time appreciating your life and the people you love?
When was the last time you purposely spent time appreciating yourself and the positive impact you have on the world?
Maybe it’s time.
Desire, with all its motivation and energy, is critical to our success.
But appreciation brings meaning to that success. It makes our success (however we define it) matter.
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
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