Two Great Tragedies

A philosopher once observed that there are two great tragedies in life. The first tragedy is not getting the desires of our heart. The second tragedy is getting them! The problem is that we think we know what we want, but when we finally get it, it is not what we thought it was going to be. We are disappointed and become disillusioned.
What we desire may not always be the best thing. Remember when you were a kid and you wanted a new toy or a new gadget really bad. You thought you could not live without this simple thing that probably would keep your attention for a moment or even bring harm to you. When you would beg your parents to get whatever it was you wanted they would respond, “We’ll see” which meant, No! But why did they say no? Why did your parents not just let you have anything you wanted? This is because everything that you want is not always good for you. If your parents would have let you eat junk food all of your life then you would grow up to be very sickly or even have a short life.
The simple analogy with a child is no different from our lives today. We live our lives in the moment and we act so spontaneous that we never stop to think. Our actions are in a race with our mind and they usually win. We cannot see but a few feet ahead of us in the race of life when we should be looking at the whole track and the finish line. We must learn to have character and discipline to lead the life we were meant to live. But for all of this to work in our lives we must make a conscious effort to change the course we are on and make the adjustments necessary.
After receiving what we so much desire and it not fulfilling out lives can be a very dangerous thing. This can be dangerous because for some they wait their whole lives for something and if they are left disappointed that could be the end of their rope. To place all of your expectations in one thing that you desire is nothing short of a catastrophe. You should never place al your hope in one thing because not only are you unfulfilled if you receive it sometime but what happens when that one thing is taken from you? How will you cope with the loss? Are you strong enough to handle the pain?
The definition of disillusioned, “dis·il·lu·sioned adj. disappointed by a frustrated ideal or belief.” If the desire brings about an unnecessary frustration then that could be a sign that it is not meant for you. Some things we desire are going to be hard to get but that is not the type of frustration I am referring to. This is the kind that eats away at your mind and soul every moment of every day. The kind that makes you loose sleep, your eating habits change and you cannot seem to get the relief you need. This is the disillusioned state that some might find themselves in after receiving what it is they thought they needed.
The strongest tool in breaking free from unnecessary baggage in our lives is the power of knowledge. I think the most neglected quality in our modern day is the neglect of knowledge and personal growth. We do not embrace the idea of improving ourselves and getting the knowledge to do so. Before we can change ourselves we must first learn how. We cannot blindly take the wheel of change without having clear direction as to where we are going. If I could say anything to the world at this moment it would be to not neglect knowledge because truth will set you free.