Can they co-exist?
One of my favorite quotes by Michael Singer: “Everything is ok as soon as you are ok with everything.”
But most people don’t think this kind of happiness aligns with success or ambition. Whenever I mention this quote to people, they respond, “Well that’s great, but if everything is ok, why would push myself to any goals?”
The answer is quite simple: be driven by the process.
You don’t have to be driven by a desire for something you don’t have. You can be driven by the opportunity to enjoy something you otherwise couldn’t. Like a game you’re playing because it’s so great.
And is it actually worse? We know when people are in a pleasant state of mind, they can operate at their best performance. Otherwise mental resources are being used to fight stress and incentivize short-term thinking
As Naval puts it, “a desire is a contract you make to be unhappy until to get what you want”. Is that a contract you’d feel is fair to sign? I think we’re capable of finding another way.
You can be completely fulfilled and happy while being motivated enough by the process to achieve your goals.
