We love to feel good. I mean, who wouldn't?
However there's more to life than feeling good. And, if we experience pleasure enough we will come to the conclusion that there's more out there for us. It will feel like there's something missing.
What's missing is purpose. However, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish pleasure from purpose. How can something that feels so good be bad for us?
Pleasure is tricky because oftentimes we want to satisfy it even if it means tricking ourselves to be able to have it. Have you ever noticed yourself trying to talk yourself into having more ice cream or binge watching shows until three in the morning? I know I have. When we become aware of these patterns, we can actually make change.
Let's explore how we can differentiate between pleasure and purpose:
When it's pleasure, it's usually instant gratification. We get what we want in the moment and sacrifice some future potential.
When it's purpose, it's our greatest good. It means creating something uniquely you. We are naturally good at some things which is often forgotten because it seems natural to us. If we take those natural abilities and repeat them often, then we will fulfill our purpose.
It takes time to build something great; something bigger than ourselves. Rewards come in waves — all at once, or barely any noise. The waves get bigger as we gain momentum.
"By pleasure, we mean the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul." - Epicurus
Pleasure sacrifices spirit for good feeling in the body. The more times we can sacrifice temporary pleasure for purpose built action the better we are doing. It's sometimes worth remembering that little things add up. Even making a single better decision today is improvement. There's no greater feeling than dying peacefully having accomplished all we wanted. Live for who we want to become. Forgive the past and work on a brighter future — a new tomorrow.