In my research on desire, I discovered nearly unanimous agreement among thoughtful people that we are unlikely to have a good and meaningful life unless we can overcome our insatiability. There was also agreement that one wonderful way to tame our tendency to always want more is to persuade ourselves to want the things we already have.

Letting go is an ongoing practice, one that can bring us a lot of happiness. When a Vietnamese woman who escaped her country by boat was robbed on the high seas of all her gold, she was so distraught that she contemplated suicide. But on shore, she met a man who had been robbed of even his clothes, and it helped her very much to see him smiling. He

Losing the illusion of permanence means that you will accept your losses. It means that you will become well acquainted with sorrow. It also means that you will realize the infinite sources of healing and joy that are available to an open heart.

life is quick, and it’s temporary. What you have now you could lose tomorrow, and gripping it so tightly, binding it up with resistance doesn’t mean it’s safer. It means that when the day comes that it passes—as does everything, as does everyone—you will realize you never really enjoyed it. And healing? It’s about getting to a place where you