Desire is not the problem. It is what you do with it that matters.

We live in a world that tells us to chase desire relentlessly. To cultivate a life that is worth living, make every day count, extract meaning from every experience, and never settle for less.

But this pursuit leaves us exhausted and cynical, because we never reach our goals, despite all the effort. And if we do, this achievement rarely brings the peace we imagined.

Desire promises joy, but what it delivers is restlessness.

Even in moments that should feel full, such as an afternoon in the sun, a good coffee, or the sound of children laughing, we feel the overwhelming sense that we should be doing more, or that we are not doing enough. We are adamant in our belief that somewhere, something better is happening, and we are not part of it.

Under such pressure, life is not something to be enjoyed, but rather something to be conquered and controlled.

However, in pursuing happiness through effort, accolades or experience, it becomes fragile, if not demanding.

The night out must now be the best night out. The holiday must be worth it. The weekend must be used well.

But when joy becomes a project, something that is planned and scheduled, it is denied the opportunity to offer surprises.

We feed our desire with potent substances, but in always chasing what is happening next, our experiences become diluted. It is a type of social homoeopathy whereby the original toxin is believed to retain some helpful memory that will cure our ills.

But under such circumstances, we are not chasing, nor experiencing joy, but merely running from the fear of missing out.

The pursuit of celebrity, fame and success becomes a cage from within which we are unable to escape, as we continue to feed the fire with the fuel it needs.

Perhaps we are not designed to satisfy our desires, only having the capacity to receive what we are given.

In grasping at external things, we are attempting to catch a butterfly, which would happily land on our shoulder, if only we ignored its presence and continued with our lives. In doing so, we would invite and allow joyful moments to just be a moment. They would cease to be a point in a journey to somewhere or something better than the present.

So, we should treat joy as a guest that comes and goes at will, as opposed to some goal to be achieved, and acknowledge that freedom does not come from doing more, but rather from letting go.

Letting go of the pressure to be remarkable.

Letting go of the need to be important.

Letting go of the belief that happiness can be achieved through effort alone.

Desire will not disappear, but in letting go, it will cease to dominate our thoughts.

We can want less and love more, and we can do less and enjoy more.

In holding on less tightly, we can live more freely.