The Daily Dance of Desires
Every morning, you wake up and follow a certain routine. Have you ever paused to question if everything that comes as a part of that routine is truly what you want? Or is it a series of habits, external cues, and unconscious choices guiding your actions? Your gadget buzzes with a new message, proposing something, and that diverts your attention. You think of someone or something, and it shifts your mood, either dampening your spirit or lifting it up. A notification prompts you to check an app, or perhaps a craving pulls you outside for a cigarette and a fresh cup of coffee.
It seems like these are your wishes, but in reality, often, many of them are external stimulants influencing your behavior.
The Illusion of Choice
Consider this: you walk into a store and see a discounted product. Impulsively, you grab it. Do you truly want it, or do you want it because it’s discounted? It’s fascinating how our mind works. Sometimes, we don’t know we want something until we see it. The line between our genuine craving and conditioned responses blurs.
The Mask of Addiction
Addictions are particularly cunning, often disguising themselves as genuine desires. Whether it’s a craving for junk food, the compulsion to check your phone, or the urge to procrastinate, these impulses can mask themselves as our ultimate genuine wants. But are they serving your higher needs, or are they driven by apathy, coming from a fatigue or unwillingness to do something for whatever reason, or by external influences?
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Wants
Healthy wishes align with our well-being and long-term goals. Unhealthy ones — often fueled by addiction or desire to get distracted to escape the reality — can lead to destructive patterns. Ask yourself: Do these wants serve your higher needs? Are they born from your true desires, or are they externally influenced?
Consider the following scenarios:
- You don’t want to wake up early, brush your teeth, or engage in physical activity.
- You want to eat junk food, skip work, smoke, and indulge in mindless entertainment.
These cravings, though they may provide temporary satisfaction, often come from apathy, habits, addictions or external influences rather than genuine, beneficial desires.
The Power of Choice in Overcoming Addictions
The good news is, you already know how to make a choice and stick to it. Now, all you need to do is to come up with a new choice.
The challenge lies in recognising when a choice is genuinely yours and when it is influenced by external factors or ingrained habits. To figure the answer, all you’ve got to do is to pause, reflect on your cravings, and accept the honest truth. Are these wishes aligning with your true self and long-term goals? Are they your choice, or a handy tool for escapism?
Making a New Choice
The first step towards aligning your actions with your genuine wants is recognising the power of decision. Every moment presents an opportunity to choose differently. Whether it’s deciding to pursue a healthier lifestyle, breaking free from addictions, or simply changing your morning routine, it all starts with a conscious decision.
Conclusion
Life is a series of choices, and the power to shape your destiny lies within those choices. By distinguishing between your true desires and externally influenced wants, or the ones you kept clinging upon like the cratches that no longer serve you as they prevent from development your muscles of determination. you can start making decisions that genuinely reflect your aspirations. Remember, all it takes is a decision — a conscious, deliberate choice to pursue what truly matters to you.
And that only takes a moment to reflect: ‘Is this what I really want?’
And if not, be brave, and answer yourself, what will you choose instead?
