life is more than just seeking pleasure
“Pleasure and happiness might make your day, but purpose and meaning make your life.”
— Darren Hardy
If there was a book called Man's Search for Pleasure, it probably wouldn't be a big hit. Sure, we all enjoy feeling good and having fun. But if pleasure was our main pursuit in life, how would we be any different than animals?
What separates human beings is that we are conscious, thinking creatures driven by meaning and purpose. We don't just live in the present moment — we reflect on our pasts to understand how we got here. And we dream about the future, setting goals to continually improve ourselves.
Deep down, we all have an innate yearning for significance that mere pleasure can't satisfy. That's why we're willing to embrace difficult challenges and discomfort in order to achieve something meaningful. An athlete will put themselves through grueling training regimens, not just for fun, but to accomplish their goals. A parent will make sacrifices for the wellbeing of their children. Soldiers put themselves in harm's way to protect higher ideals.
This drive for purpose pushes us to create, to build legacies that will outlast us. We find fulfillment in nurturing relationships, leaving the world better than we found it. Just chasing one pleasure after another would leave us feeling empty inside.
“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.”
― Viktor Frankl
We are driven to expand ourselves and become a better version of ourselves, to endure difficult circumstances to create something awe-inspiring and beautiful, to embark on remarkable journeys to reach unfathomed destinations, to go through incessant discomfort and pain for the betterment of others. We want to "rise higher." And that's why the book Man's Search for Meaning has inspired millions to date and is widely considered a self-help masterpiece.
Sure, pleasure is great and we all deserve to experience lots of it. But it's just a byproduct of the human journey. Our minds and souls crave much more — the chance to connect to something greater and lasting. Simple pleasures fade, but purpose is what sustains us.
So, let go of the pursuit of pleasure and ephemeral happiness. Zero in on your sacred purpose, choose your holy struggle, and keep moving forward every day. That’s the only way to create a glorious life for yourself.
