Discover the Amazing Benefits of Delayed Gratification
Patience is the key to success
Habitual smokers hardly seem deterred by the gory warnings on a cigarette pack — have you ever wondered why?
They tend to ignore the long-term hazards against immediate satisfaction. Or for that matter, someone on a diet plan getting lured when passing by one’s favorite pizza shop.
Life can trick us in subtle ways when things seem under our control.
In Hindu philosophy, there is a principle of Shreyas-Preyas. Shreyas means beneficial and Preyas means pleasant. What is beneficial may not be pleasant, and what appears pleasant may not bring any benefit.
Anything can be pleasant — an eatable, a book, a movie, a friendship, a habit, anything. However, it is a common experience that some actions, though pleasant, can bring misery and trouble in the end. It may bring temporary satisfaction by way of pleasing our senses or tickling our ego, but invariably drags us into degradation. Eventually, we will regret and repent our immature motivation.
Focusing only on pleasure makes us ignore the problems it creates. We often live an imprisoned life, caught behind the iron cage of bad habits. Shreyas is seeking not non-pleasure but ever-lasting pleasure. It is the principle of delayed happiness, in favor of a greater good.
Take the example of a student who has to prepare for impending examinations. To perform well in examinations, one has to prepare well, which means spending time and energy on one’s studies. This involves hard work. When one wants to study hard, one has to forego certain temporary comforts or inviting temptations for pleasure. The student has to let go of distractions. While studying, it may be tempting to watch the TV or see a movie, which if opted, will ruin all the study plans.
One has to, therefore, decide between what is pleasant and what is good. A choice in favor of Preyas will generate regret later. The Shreyas option may cause some temporary displeasure for missing out on one’s desire but will bring greater happiness later.
It’s impossible to suppress desires. Each conscious effort of suppression will further lead to a fiercer unconscious urge to do so.
Then how to deal with it?
Self-management and discipline is the key. This means managing one’s feelings, emotions and actions. Being cautious about using and allocating our limited energy, time, and resources is crucial to fulfilling our life goals. To stay focused, set goals, remind yourself to work towards them, and visualize success. And if we falter at some step, that’s okay — as long as you pick yourself up on the way and commit to never repeating the same mistake!
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Viktor E. Frankl
