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Have you ever worded why no matter how much people have they always seem to want more?
Although the quest for more, bigger and better is so inherent in our culture that most people never question it, there is in face a biological basis for our drive to succeed.
Whenever we see something we want, our brain releases a neuro-transmitter info our bloodstream called dopamine. This release of dopamine crates the feeling of craving in our bodies, as if we have to have whatever it ti that we want.
Then, when we actually achieve our desired and result and get what we want, our brains reward us with the feel good serotonin. The interplay between these two chemical messengers in our body is gong on all day, every day. We are continually moving between desire and the achievement of our desire and the whole game is regulated by our brain chemistry.
When we are watching a football match as the ball goes up and down the field we release more and more dopamine, building a craving inside our bodies for our team to score a goal. When they do, our brains release serotonin into our blood stream and we feel fantastic.
The exact same process comes into play when we engage in the pursuit of making money. As our desire to close a deal builds, so does th release of brain chemicals. This is why some of the wealthiest people in the world continue it work as if their life depended on it, they feel compelled to do so because they are actually chemically addicted to the feeling of success.
This is why it is so important to find work that you enjoy doing and is aligned with your highest values. If you good feelings in life come only from making money and ding deals, you will wind up pursuing money like a commodity. No matter how much you have, it will never feel like enough.
On the other hand, there are some people who pursue money as a substitute for a feeling of security. They are the ones who feel like they always need a little bit more to be safe. In this case, the quest of more is driven by the fear of not enough, not enough love, not enough self—esteem and not enough good feelings. And all the money in the world a not fill a hole.
Unless we actively step in and take control, our brain chemistry runs the show. In this case, the adrenaline of fear drives the pursuit of money and the serotonin of success temporally soothes the fear. It feels so good to get that burst of good feelings that people will literally scare themselves into going out and making even more money and the cycle continues.
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