Process vs Outcome

This is one of the concepts often repeated in meditation, and something which I feel is applicable in many aspects of our daily lives. It has played a crucial role in reshaping my understanding of the world and the nature of things, and so I thought I’d try to put it into words.

I feel that all too often, we are caught up in wanting things to be a certain way, having preconcieved notions and expectations of how our lives should look like and how the world should be. More often than not, these expectations bring us further away from present moment. We end up dissatisfied and unhappy with what we have, always looking towards the prospect of something better and not being able to appreciate what we already have. However, if we can learn to let go of these expectations and be more present in whatever we do, we can develop a greater sense of awareness and be more content with life.

Take happiness as an example. With consumerism and advertising, we seem to have been taught to believe that happiness is an outcome, some arbitrary end-point that we can get to. “If only I had this, I’d be happy”, “If only my life were like that, I’d be happy”. But is that really the case? Sure, material possessions and achievements can make our lives easier or more enjoyable, but that kind of happiness doesn’t last (this is known as the hedonic treadmill). We find ourselves constantly chasing after the next high just to have the entire process repeat itself again. In the process, we are using up more and more resources and causing irreparable damage to the environment. In truth, if we keep on going down this path, we will never be satisfied.

The best things in life cannot be looked at as one-time accomplishments. They come as a byproduct of a continuous process, something that gives your life purpose and meaning. Love, happiness, relationships, fulfillment –  they need to be cultivated on a daily basis through the things that you do.

At the end of the day, life is one big, never-ending process. We are all insignificant, tiny snapshots in time. If we learn to let go of our expectations and imagined sense of self-importance, it can in turn challenge us to make the most out of our time here, for ourselves and the people around us.