The human affliction which is to always desire for something more and for something other varies in degrees for each person. I used to both battle against it as a symptom of ingratitude but also recognise it as a fire for exceptionalism. In this month of peace and submission, I wonder if perhaps it is time to stop hoping for something other than what we currently have. I think of all the hopes and dreams that I always prayed for, not just for myself but for the world and for loved ones and how they continue unanswered and I wonder if it’s time to accept that perhaps this is simply our destiny. Is this the beginning of defeatism, or is this the wisdom of faith.

Perhaps the answer lies in understanding the true nature of these unanswered dreams. Why are they important to us? Is it for reasons of self gratification, of reinforcing the ego, of obtaining respect, approval and validation from society? If that is the overarching theme of these dreams, then maybe the work lies in approving of and respecting one’s self first, and once we resolve this particular congestion, we finally feed the true source of our hunger.

What if those dreams are related to contributing to something bigger and more valuable than ourselves? Then no matter how remote, impossible or notoriously unachievable these dreams are, keeping that fire alive will be a fight worth fighting for. Because meeting the needs of a community, being of service to those who are in some way debilitated by life, is a fundamental eco-system of the universe. To compromise on this fight for others, is to fail ourselves.

Finally and perhaps the trickiest dreams of all. What if they are dreams so intrinsic to the human condition but are also quite often and to an underlying degree, beyond our human parameters, such as finding a life partner or being a mother? When the jaws of time keep yawning and these dreams continue to seem more and more inevitably unlikely, how do we make peace with a destiny we do not want? For now, I still feel that the answer is letting go. As the wisdom goes, we need to break our dependence on wanting something, for us to truly reap the rewards of submission. Sometimes, it is when we no longer deify the object of our longing do we finally manage to obtain it. And other times, it is the realisation that freeing ourselves from wanting something is when we finally embody the magic answer to life – contentment.