Determining Our Possibilities Before Our Desires
You can’t always get what you want. Although this may be the opposite of everything we’re used to hearing, it’s important to be aware of it. Sometimes, even if there’s a will, there might not be a way. This is important to understand given that by thinking about the possible ways of getting what we want, we can base our plans on reality. This will make it easier for us to reach our goals.
Desire isn’t always enough. And the sooner we realize that, the sooner we can adapt our goals, value what we have, and not despair due to pointless attempts. This is because no, it’s not true, you can’t always get what you want, no matter how much you want it. For that reason, we should try to determine our possibilities before our desires and see how it works out for us.
By this, I don’t mean we must lower our goals to be able to reach them, that we can’t go beyond what we have right in front of us. Rather, we should use this simply as a foundation to help us understand that desire isn’t enough. Even so, we should still keep trying. We haven’t reached our limit yet, we can still get better and keep growing. We should still set the bar higher and higher. However, we should always do so by determining our possibilities before our desires.
Knowing our limits helps improve our possibilities
Maybe the greatest virtue we can have is knowing our limits and being realistic about them. Unrealistic goals and false optimism are our worst enemies because they make us think we can go the distance by only thinking positive thoughts. However, what we really need to do is dedicate time and persevere to be able to get what we want.
Limits are personal and non-transferable, but also adjustable. My present limits could be at a certain level, but I have to think about how to overcome them. Do I need to put in more time, effort, or work? Where can I use my strengths? What points should I focus on? This task needs optimism but also an introspection of knowing possibilities and limits.
If I don’t know how to determine my limits, I might fail. If I know how to limit my goals and adapt them, then I have power over them. I make them realistic. That doesn’t mean I won’t need optimism to get them, but I’ll know I’m working on something objective. Something that challenges me and will force me to work hard, but will be achievable. I’ll have the tools to reach them since it only depends on me.
False optimism
It’s not true that optimism means constantly thinking that everything will go well. Optimism means not falling into negativity. It means constantly looking at the options that are available. It’s finding the motivation to face what’s in front of you and see beyond the obstacles.
Optimism gives us a push, but it won’t help us achieve anything on its own. It doesn’t give us anything. However, it does get us closer to that faraway goal or at least puts a smile on our face.
When optimism is realistic, it’s our best friend. However, when it turns excessive, it becomes our worst enemy. If we’re conscious of our limits, we can create our own possibilities. This means that we can determine our desires only if we start with our possibilities.
Therefore, we can say that desire is a necessary condition for possibility, just as possibility is a basic condition for desire.