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Life Isn’t About Getting What You Want

Jason Henry
3 min readFeb 27, 2019

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There’s a certain short-sightedness when it comes to goal attainment. Once we see a way we think our desires can be fulfilled, we begin to assume that that is the way our desires will be fulfilled.

That is, until it fails. Then we start to say, oh no that wasn’t the way. This new way is the way. Until that doesn’t work either. Then we continue this dance for a little while until eventually, we realise that just because we think we’ve made it, doesn’t mean we actually have. What you’ve made it to is the next step.

Moreover, we develop an appreciation for our failures. Without them, we wouldn’t have the information necessary to actually make wiser decisions. We look back at how we were and shake our heads with a smile because we can see just how myopic we were. If we’re really smart, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more lessons to come.

You see, it isn’t that you can’t get what you want. It’s just that if that was really what life was about, goal attainment would be much easier. And boring.

It’s like playing a game and every single shot you took went in. That’s not entertaining at all. We might hate to admit it, but we actually, sort of, dare I say, like to fail. We like when life pushes us back, which causes us go even harder, smarter or faster.

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Jason Henry
Jason Henry

Written by Jason Henry

Counselling Psychologist | Current Writer | Constant Learner | “By your stumbling the world is perfected.”

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