#14 | Why Are We Chasing?
“The moment you stop chasing something is the moment you find it.”
— Buddha
We live in a world built on the idea of chasing — chasing success, love, money, happiness, or peace. But the deeper question is: why are we chasing in the first place?
Sometimes, we don’t even know what we’re chasing or why. We run after goals because everyone else seems to be running too. We chase achievements because we were taught that our worth depends on them. We chase approval because somewhere in our childhood, we learned that being accepted equals being loved.
It’s astonishing how much of our life is driven not by clarity, but by habitual pursuit — the constant belief that fulfillment lies just a little further ahead.
The Illusion of the Chase
Imagine walking through a dark forest. You start to walk faster, feeling like something is behind you. Chances are, there’s nothing there — just your imagination. Life works much the same way. We move faster and faster, fearing we’re falling behind, worrying that others are getting ahead, when in truth, there’s often nothing chasing us at all.
If we could pause — truly pause — we might see that much of what we’ve been chasing holds no real meaning. Sadly, many realize this only on their deathbed, when time runs short, and reflection becomes a mirror of regret.
The Power of Pausing
Take a moment to ask yourself:
Why am I doing this?
What is the purpose behind my actions?
Am I chasing something real — or just an illusion?
Often, we imagine things that aren’t real — especially what others think of us. We build entire lives around these imagined perceptions, exhausting ourselves trying to meet invisible expectations.
Return to Reason
As human beings, we are uniquely gifted with the faculty of reasoning — the ability to step back, observe, and ask why. It’s a gift that allows us to see beyond the chase, to understand our motives, and to choose what truly matters.
So pause. Reflect. Ask yourself —
What am I really chasing?
And more importantly — why?
Because sometimes, when you stop chasing, you realize what you were seeking was already within you all along.