Desire comes at the cost of gratitude
Which is not ideal, because gratitude is a much better feeling
It’s impossible to both be entirely grateful for something I have and at the same time desire a better version of it. If I want a bigger house, it means I’m not satisfied with the one I live in now. Desire devalues what I have now.
Desire is a deal you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you desire.
Ideally, desire gets constantly fulfilled and transformed into gratitude. Being thirsty is a desire we have every day. Drinking water should be something we’re grateful for every day. Desires of necessities are, of course, inevitable, but gratitude needs to be practiced. I highly recommend it.
I believe some amount of desire beyond necessities is needed to get the most out of life. I would still have a soul-sucking job if it weren’t for desire to do something more rewarding for a living.
The problem is desiring everything simultaneously: fancier clothes, deeper relationships, a newer car, a boat, new hobbies, and the latest iPhone. I’ve been like this. I even thought it was an admirable trait not to be satisfied with anything. To always be striving for more.
In reality, desiring everything takes away the ability to be grateful for anything. And gratitude is what gives peace of mind and sustainable happiness.
That’s why I do my best not to let myself desire everything. Being grateful for most of the things in my life makes me a much happier person than before.