Desire is the feeling of "want". Everyone has desires! If you're thirsty then you need water, that's a desire. Human lives without it is not possible. We have all sorts of desires... that includes desire to drink water, career goals, relationship goals and all others.
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The desires can be grouped into two, i.e. the desires we define for ourselves and the desires which are sort of "default-ish" like desire to eat when hungry, to drink water when thirsty, to seek happiness etc. These default-ish desires come subconsciously in our minds without giving much thought. But the other one which we define for ourselves obviously depends on us. We create those desires for ourselves.
Desires like aspiring to become an astronaut when grown up, to own a lamborghini, to work hard and earn money instead of hanging out and wasting time... are examples of self-made desires. But... are desires bad for us? Should we limit them or should we not? Have we become greedy due to them? Where is our desires leading us to?
Self-made desires can be the motivation for life. These desires can give meaning and purpose to someone. Every successful person had desires. If an individual has a burning desire, he can do anything and even push his own boundaries in order to achieve what he wants... and that's a good thing.
However desires become wrong when we convert them into greed. If you think that you'll be happy and satisfied with your life after achieving your goals and dreams, then you're absolutely wrong. You won't be happy even after. The more we get, the more we want! If we desire to earn in thousands and achieve it, we'll desire to earn in millions, then billions. Our desires just won't stop at any point.
Though we should always strive for growth, it's important to be happy and grateful with what we possess so far. Excessive desires sometimes when unfulfilled can lead to stress, anxiety and dissatisfaction with life. Therefore, regulating our desires is important. Mindfulness and other such practices can help regulate your desires because it helps us to become more aware. Though only these practices won't help alone. Regulating your self-defined desires totally depends on you. You need to give a proper thought on what do you want and why do you want it.
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Being unhappy even after achieving goals and dreams is completely not our fault since we continuously find reasons in order to stay motivated. Desires are linked to reward system of the brain. You may have already guessed it... the dopamine. Dopamine is released when we desire or when we work to achieve the desire. This is the reason why we love to desire or crave for things. However, the downside of unregulated desires is greed, not a proper direction in life and most importantly, a dissatisfied life.
Desires are a two way lane. They can morally be good or wrong such as desire to bully, murder and humiliate. Sometimes these can make you blind enough that you can't distinguish between right or wrong and end up doing such acts. The best option we have in such cases is self-reflection and a will to be a good person. One way to stop such desires is to keep in mind whether an act is constructive or harmful .
Finding balance between desires and self-content needs to be done in order to live a happy and satisfied life. Desires are like a compass needle for the direction of life. It directs us towards our goals and aspirations, helping us navigate the vast landscape of life. Hence, reflecting on our desires is important to know where we are heading in life.
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