Going After What You Really Want

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Purpose and desire aren’t mutually exclusive. You can become rich by adding value to other’s lives through executing your individual, unique mission. And we know that the reasons you have for all this are just as good as anybody else’s—to try something you’ve always wanted to try; for expensive toys; getting the kids to college; preparing to care for aged loved ones—there’re a million and one reasons to want to be successful financially.

There are no wrong reasons to go for what you want as long as it’s coming from a place of your truth. Fulfilling your needs doesn’t excite anybody, but going after what you want? Oh yes! It’s got to move you!

“If I could do this … oh my God!”

The purpose for having money is pretty well the most important element in having money. Everyone I know who has become rich did so for a reason as if they needed to become rich. Most of them don’t live all that happily because they needed to become rich in order to prove that they’re okay, or responding to some programming other than an intention that moved them from their inner core.

So go for whatever you want. In the end, we’re all going for the same thing. What we’re really seeking is the feeling that the objects of our wants will bring. A new house can give us a sense of comfort. A new car can heighten a feeling of importance. Travel and toys can invoke excitement and stave off boredom. Launching the business dream job can satisfy our need to achieve and be recognized.

But we need to be real careful about what it is we want. Sometimes people keep wanting things and getting them, only to find out they didn’t really want it, or get bored real fast (which is usually the case), only to want more and guess what? Those wants keep piling up, and pretty soon you’re wanting something so badly that you’re looking at the future as if that’s the place where your happiness will reside. That’s the desire trap.

The point isn’t that we shouldn’t want the objects we think will make us happy. However, we have to keep in mind that our happiness isn’t limited to the objects of our desires. We don’t have to wait until we get want we want in order to be happy.

We can gain those same feelings we think our material desires will give us in other ways. Donating time to a cause you really care about can provide feelings of security and connection among like-minded individuals, and recognition that makes you feel good about yourself for helping others.

The more we focus on the positive experiences we want out of life, not only do we tend to produce those more frequently, but also the easier it is to produce the “things” we want.

Now we want to hear from you. Have you ever wanted something so badly—even something major like a certain career or expensive object—only to find out it didn’t really fulfill you? What was the lesson from the experience?