The devil once said, “What do you desire?” Well, I can think of a few things. I’m only human after all. Like most people, I have a number of desires and things that I covet. Sometimes they’re sitting in the palm of my hand and on other occasions, those desires couldn’t be further. One such example is my plans to holiday in Greece and Italy this year. While I am grateful beyond words to be safe and okay given the current circumstances, it hurts to miss out on this opportunity when I’ve wanted it for so long.
Every now and then, after a stressful or tiring week, I like to take a walk through the fields in my village. The fresh air, green grass, mooing cows and visiting cranes are a delight to take in. All of that somehow grounds me and makes me appreciate what I have right in my own backyard. Greece and Italy can wait, for now, the gorgeous scenery of my home makes up for it.
That’s the thing with desires, they can be utterly frivolous and sometimes borderline nonsensical and yet we’ll want and crave it. Mine range from saving up to buying a pair of $700 Louboutin So Kate pumps or enjoying a simple day at the beach where I probably wouldn’t spend more than Rs.500, both poles apart.
On numerous occasions, I’ve watched myself toe that fine line between need and greed. Sometimes I have to take a step back and evaluate my so-called desires. I ask myself, “Do I really need this or do I want it?” But then I wonder, is it so wrong to want things and is it trivial to indulge oneself?
Sometimes I like to live in the moment and sometimes the more practical part of myself knocks me back to my senses. It’s like there are two parts of me constantly warring over each other. One that’s wild and carefree and another that’s level headed and overly cautious. Finding the balance between the two tends to be tricky.
Of late I’ve been imagining what I want my future to be and for some reason, the simple life keeps calling out to me. Don’t get me wrong, I do love fine things in life and certain niceties but I think I would much rather work for a living than work to gather commodities. Sure, curios are great and they make your hall look nice, but at the end of the day if it doesn’t bring you happiness or hold fond memories then it’s just a knick-knack collecting dust.
We live in a world of abundance and yet we feel so empty. The overwhelming excess of choice and desire to constantly want and buy more doesn’t truly make us satisfied or content. These momentary bursts of happiness are usually followed by periods of sadness or dare I say, depression.
Photo by Mohit GuptaIt’s a common flaw of people to judge others based on their possessions. The more you have the higher you stand in society. And so I look back to the days of old, before globalisation and modernisation. Centuries ago, when men and women lived simple lives tending and living off their fields and cattle. I like to imagine that they were content with that life. They didn’t spend every waking moment working to collect material items, instead, they worked to survive and lived simple lives and were happy doing so.
I believe it is important to find the right balance between desire and need. When we live in a world of limited resources, it is our duty to live within our means and not over-consume. Instead of buying 10 different outfits a month that you’ll use only once, try buying 2 or 3 good quality clothing items that you can use in different ways. I’m not saying stop yourself from acting on your desires but instead, don’t let your desires get the better of you. It can lead to greed which is unhealthy and will only bring you unhappiness.
Work towards finding the balance between your desires and needs, it’s only then that you will be truly satisfied with what you have and what you have achieved.
Written By Jessica Albuquerque.
A master of being a Jack of all Trades, A method in madness some may say. I’m just a girl on a never-ending journey, Standing on the precipice of my next big story.
Week 18, April 2021
