---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no desire that anyone holds for…"
description: "\"There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in the achievement of it. Whether it is a materi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg"
---

#  There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason…

![“There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in the achievement of it. Whether it is a material object, a physical state of being, a relationship, a condition, or a circumstance - at the heart of every desire is the desire to feel good. And…” quote by Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg)

> “There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in the achievement of it. Whether it is a material object, a physical state of being, a relationship, a condition, or a circumstance - at the heart of every desire is the desire to feel good. And so, the standard of success in life is not the things or the money - the standard of success is absolutely the amount of joy you feel.”

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Desire is driven by the pursuit of pleasure; success should be measured by joy, not material gain.

**In simple terms:** We chase things to feel good; true success is joy.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize joy over possessions.

Themes

desire success joy values

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal goals
- career decisions
- relationship choices
- financial planning

Key Concepts

hedonism psychology well‑being

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you differentiate lasting fulfillment from temporary pleasure?
- Can joy be a reliable guide for life choices?

A Different Perspective

Joy can be fleeting and subjective, making it an unstable metric.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-desire/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-in-life/)

## Related quotes

> [“When we create a life based on what we think we are supposed to do rather than from our own heart's desire, we always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heatherash-amara/when-we-create-a-life-based-on-what-we-think-we-are-supposed-to-do/)

[HeatherAsh Amara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heatherash-amara/)

> [I care how I feel and it is my desire to feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/i-care-how-i-feel-and-it-is-my-desire-to-feel-good/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [In youth we are plagued by desire; in later years, by the desire to feel desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/in-youth-we-are-plagued-by-desire-in-later-years-by-the-desire-to/)

[Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/)

> [When you dance, do you feel desire? Do you feel as if you were summoning up a greater energy? When you dance, are there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-dance-do-you-feel-desire-do-you-feel-as-if-you-were/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It only wakes up the burning desire I always feel whenever I'm close to this man and the shadows of my fears back away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-witter/it-only-wakes-up-the-burning-desire-i-always-feel-whenever-i-m-close/)

[Stephanie Witter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-witter/)

> [Desire is the intangible quality that has more impact on success than talent, education, or IQ. You can't see desire, but you can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/desire-is-the-intangible-quality-that-has-more-impact-on-success-than/)

[Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/)

> [“Within the nature of every person is a desire to feel appreciated, to feel needed, and to be loved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/within-the-nature-of-every-person-is-a-desire-to-feel-appreciated-to/)

[Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/)

> [“We all have an innate desire to feel important, be special, and feel appreciated. Considering the universal drive to have those needs met, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-all-have-an-innate-desire-to-feel-important-be-special-and-feel/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [The Lord filled me with desire, and made me feel that I must be as much with Him alone as with souls in public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bonar/the-lord-filled-me-with-desire-and-made-me-feel-that-i-must-be-as/)

[Andrew Bonar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bonar/)

> [“Very few humans desire to feel their pain because it is painful!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-aon-prakasha/very-few-humans-desire-to-feel-their-pain-because-it-is-painful/)

[Padma Aon Prakasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-aon-prakasha/)

> [“I am the melted cheese of desire. Please, feel free to double dip.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-the-melted-cheese-of-desire-please-feel-free-to-double-dip/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [The soul's first adventure is the fight between two ideas: the wish to return to earth in a human form, and the desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/the-soul-s-first-adventure-is-the-fight-between-two-ideas-the-wish-to/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

> [“Having begun to feel, people’s desire to feel grew. They wanted to feel more, feel deeper, despite how it sometimes hurt. People became addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/having-begun-to-feel-people-s-desire-to-feel-grew-they-wanted-to-feel/)

[Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/)

> [Your desire is your prayer. Picture the fulfillment of your desire now and feel its reality and you will experience the joy of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/your-desire-is-your-prayer-picture-the-fulfillment-of-your-desire-now/)

[Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/)

> [“When obsessives are given their object of desire, what do they feel? It was hard to say, really. In a sense their lives were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/when-obsessives-are-given-their-object-of-desire-what-do-they-feel-it/)

[Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/)

## More by Esther Hicks

> [Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/appreciation-is-the-purest-vibration-that-exists-on-the-planet-today/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Some say that you should not want money at all because the desire for money is materialistic and not Spiritual. But we want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/some-say-that-you-should-not-want-money-at-all-because-the-desire-for/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [“We know that words do not teach, that only life experience teaches, but the combination of life experience coupled with words that define and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/we-know-that-words-do-not-teach-that-only-life-experience-teaches-but/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [It is only in your thriving that you have anything to offer anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/it-is-only-in-your-thriving-that-you-have-anything-to-offer-anyone/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [I am that which I am, and I am willing to allow all others to be that which they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/i-am-that-which-i-am-and-i-am-willing-to-allow-all-others-to-be-that/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [“Ich bin so, wie ich bin, und ich bin bereit, auch alle anderen so sein zu lassen, wie sie sind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/ich-bin-so-wie-ich-bin-und-ich-bin-bereit-auch-alle-anderen-so-sein/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Creation isn't forcing or commanding something into existence. It's more of a rolling over, a good stretch, blissing out, lying on the grass watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/creation-isn-t-forcing-or-commanding-something-into-existence-it-s/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [“Creation Here is an exercise that will assist you in your Deliberate Creating: Take three separate pieces of paper, and at the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/creation-here-is-an-exercise-that-will-assist-you-in-your-deliberate/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Physical beings want things to be the same. They want people to think the same. You work rather hard at sameness, but you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/physical-beings-want-things-to-be-the-same-they-want-people-to-think/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [One who is connected to the Energy Stream is more powerful than a million who are not. And two who are harmoniously focused and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/one-who-is-connected-to-the-energy-stream-is-more-powerful-than-a/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Your hands are tied in action, but your hands are not tied in imagination and everything springs forth from the imagination. Everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/your-hands-are-tied-in-action-but-your-hands-are-not-tied-in/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Offer a vibration that matches your desire rather than offering a vibration that keeps matching what-is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/offer-a-vibration-that-matches-your-desire-rather-than-offering-a/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [The certain pathway to all things that you want is through the corridor of joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/the-certain-pathway-to-all-things-that-you-want-is-through-the/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Make up your mind that nothing is more important than how I feel now, because now is everything. Now is the whole enchilada. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/make-up-your-mind-that-nothing-is-more-important-than-how-i-feel-now/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

[Explore all 445 Esther Hicks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

## More Achievement quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/)

[Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/)

[Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/)

> [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/)

Chaz Brenchley

> [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/)

[Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/)

> [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/)

[Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/)

> [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/)

[Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/)

> [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/)

Nicholas Roerich

> [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

[Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in the achievement of it. Whether it is a material object, a physical state of being, a relationship, a condition, or a circumstance - at the heart of every desire is the desire to feel good. And so, the standard of success in life is not the things or the money - the standard of success is absolutely the amount of joy you feel.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Esther Hicks"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for-any-other-reason-than-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achievement"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for-any-other-reason-than-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/esther-hicks-592_achievement_there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for_1927111.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is no desire that anyone holds for any other reason than that they believe they will feel better in…” — Esther Hicks",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Esther Hicks",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There is no desire that anyone...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for-any-other-reason-than-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-is-no-desire-that-anyone-holds-for-any-other-reason-than-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
