Pursuit of Chase or Pursuit of Peace?
One day, I stepped out onto the balcony of my beach house, felt the sea breeze on my skin, had the most beautiful girl in town inside my home, and a Porsche in my garage. I thought to myself, "This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life."
But now that it was finally here, it didn’t feel any different. It didn’t give me the thrill I had imagined. I still felt like the same child—wondering what more I needed to keep myself amused.
I was still the same inside, unchanged, and uncertain about what to do next.
It was as if everything I had chased all this time wasn’t as amazing as I thought it would be, says Mr. Smith.
I’ve lived an interesting life. Now in my 90s, I come from a hippie culture. I’ve been there, done it all, and I’m still standing. I have children, lost three wives along the way—two to life, and one through separation. And yet, I still feel like there’s something I’m searching for.
Mr. Smith’s story, in a way, resembles many others in one common truth:
Sometimes, it’s the chase we’re chasing—not the goal itself. Our minds crave activity. They thrive in motion. But once we reach the destination, we must learn to cherish the stability while it lasts—because instability will find its way back eventually. When we do arrive at a place of calm, learning to maintain that fragile balance—an unstable equilibrium—with peace, is what fosters true strength.
In our pursuit of a goal, we often miss the journey, too focused on the finish line. But it’s within the journey that the real richness lies—the experiences, the lessons, the growth, and the delicate balance of life that we learn to manage.
Because in the end, stability and peace are what we ultimately seek—to truly rest in peace.
If we’ve done what we set out to do, and reached where we were meant to, we must also learn to remain there—with joy and grace.
Often, we keep setting new goals, and that’s not a bad thing. We want to explore the full extent of our abilities.
But when it comes to wants, there’s wisdom in identifying a point of comfort and choosing not to endlessly increase those desires. That’s where peace and stability are born.
Not craving the next “want” doesn’t mean abandoning growth—it means being content where we are, while still using our potential fully. That balance can lead to both success and serenity.
It’s the path where we encounter new things—flowers, berries, animals, landscapes, people. And it’s the destination that gives us the stillness to reflect on everything the path brought us.
Both the pursuit and the reward matter.
We should remain active and purposeful—but not frantic in our pursuit. Let the next phase come from a peaceful mind, stepping into a new journey with grace. And when we finally reach the summit of the mountain—we must remember to pause, lift our binoculars, and take in the beauty of the path we climbed.
07.14.2025
Dr. Jaya Sonkar MD MPH
Copyright © 2025 Dr. Jaya Sonkar. All rights reserved.
