Coffee? Or tea?

Coffee? Or tea?

All good things start with coffee, I think.

Do you play ball? Or study physics? Eat cake? Or treadmill? Miniskirt? Or purity ring? Settle down with kids? Stay single? Do drugs? Stay sober? Create art? Shoot guns? Fit in? Stand out? Stay safe? Take risks? Sin and burn? Or join church for the hope of eternal joy? Get rich doing something boring? Be poor doing something fun?

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚?

Our choices are not random.

Nor are they logical.

Our choices are predetermined by our desires.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆. (If you think one option is “more logical” that says more about your desires than about whats logical.)

But these desires are ephemeral extensions of our ultimate desire: 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 .

We desire and choose because we want to be happy.

Our tastes may change from chocolate to vanilla. Our minds may eventually learn that healthy eating yields more happiness than a box of donuts; that some desires lead to less happiness.

But underneath this fluidity one thing remains unchanged:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.

𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

Such is our fate, and such is our nature. And very often it leads us to franticly look to tomorrow.

To the next horizon. The next Amazon package. The next large event. The next vacation. The next project. The next rush. The next dose.

But tomorrow never comes. It always stays tomorrrow. And our desires remain fixated on the future, for no one desires what they already have.

So what is left then? Are we to abandon all hope? Are we to toil in a perpetual “chasing after the wind”? Pursuing something that only speeds up the closer we get?

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴.

The only way to catch the wind, is to cease your frantic pursuit. Stand still. Extend your arms as though they are sails, and embrace the gentle breeze.

Enjoy today for what it is. And when tomorrow’s packages, events, or vacations come along. Do the same.

You will never find happiness if you are too busy out looking for it.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁, 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.