I can’t give you the right answer to these questions, I can just give you my opinion. However, it may be that there isn’t even THE right answer as the reality of each one of us is different and so there easily may be a variety of right answers.
What I noticed is that, when the mind creates the sense of desire, we feel the urge to fulfill that desire. Why would we want that? Because underneath all of our desires there is the illusion of happiness that the satisfaction of our cravings will bring us, whether we’re conscious of it or less.
The sense of agitation and restlessness that desire may provoke within ourselves can easily trick us into believing that it moves us towards change, that it initiates movement, even though we all know that change is always happening in this world, whether desire is present or not.
What fascinates me is why we can’t resist constantly chasing to fulfill our desires even though lots of us fall into the trap of fulfilling desires without getting that so craved satisfaction and doing it over and over again... Why do we feel that we NEED to chase our desires? Clearly, none of the extremes is good: going after your desires 100% or ignoring them completely. We should aim at finding balance in all things. Easier said than done.
However, when we recognize that desire is an emotional state and all emotions are just the consequence of thought that mind produces, we can try to explore it from the outside, be the firm witness of mind’s dirty ways of tricking ourselves into believing that it is us, because it is not. It is our tool, friend or enemy, challenger and cooperator - but it is not us.
Try to sit with desire. Explore it. Fulfill those that resonate with your true self and just leave behind the rest. There’s no need to struggle all the time. Remember that there is a beautiful sea of ease an effortlessness once you decide to raise above the identification with the mind.
Take care. Lots of love, Maja