When we attain something that is missing from our lives, it feels great for awhile. Sooner or later, however, that feeling of elation begins to fade. We seek something else, something to replace that feeling of incompleteness and dissatisfaction.
This can apply to anything such as something we want to buy, or a goal that we’ve been pursuing. Once we get what we want, there will be something else in the future that we want. Something that drives us to pursue it.
Perhaps there is some good in this. As a writer, I’m never satisfied with just writing one story or one blog post. Likewise, there is no definitive goal where I can say after I write this epic book, I’m calling it quits with writing. On the contrary, writing is a lifelong pursuit, one that takes practice and dedication.
There’s always something to write about: a world to create, an idea to communicate. I could always think of something that I haven’t written about before. There’s no end to the topics and ideas that I could address.
But the negative in this endless pursuit of things/goals is when we pursue beyond our means, beyond what we’re able to attain to the point of exhaustion, weariness–until we’re burnt out. When our pursuit becomes detrimental to us, we know that something is wrong. There must be a limit. And once we’ve reached it, we know that it is time to take a break, to take a step back and look at what we’ve accomplished–what we have.
Fallton Havenstonne 