Driving forces

 “The two greatest movers of the human mind are the desire of good and fear of evil.”

Every single action you take can be traced back to one of two things:

1. Desire

2. Fear

You either desire an outcome, or you fear an outcome.

I used to think that the reason I chose to do anything is because I made the decision in my mind. I thought that I could make myself desire something just by telling myself I did. Boy, was I wrong. It turns out, each person has their own desires and their own fears. It is part of the genetics that you are composed of. 

I began to list my goals for life. This included things I wanted to achieve, relationships I wanted to improve, improvements I wanted to make to myself. I then went on to look for the reason to do these things. You might say “well, I just want to do it because it’s something I want to do.” That may be true, but there is a true desire that lies within each goal.

For example, I might say I want to be a better friend. First off, I ask myself “why do I want to be a better friend?” On the surface level, this can be answered by “because relationships are important to me”, but the truth is, I am afraid to be alone and I desire comradery. 

One fear. One desire.

If I don’t form better relationships with my friends, the relationships will fail (fear), I will have nobody to rely on (fear) and I will be alone (fear). I want people who understand me (desire) I want to feel connected (desire) and I want to belong (desire).

You might think you have free reign over your decisions, but your physiological desires are what drive every single decision you make. 

We only have so much control over what we feel. Most of what we feel comes down to physiological needs that fuel our desires that fuel our actions.

Action:

Make a list of every thing you wish to do in life. Next, write down why you want to do it, but don’t think too hard right away. Simply write down the first thing that comes to your head. Then, continue by figuring which desires and fears influence the goal you wish to achieve.

I promise you, every single goal is instigated by a desire or a fear.

Recognizing our internal desires and fears allows us to be more in tune with what we want, why we want it, and how to achieve it. By fulfilling our desires and avoiding our fears, we achieve happiness.

And for me, happiness is the ultimate and only goal.

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~Thank you for reading. My goal is to help teach others ways to better themselves while doing the same for myself. This is The Exploration.~