What the Gita Says About Why You’re Not Getting What You Want (Yet)
Riya Kumari | Jul 28, 2025, 11:24 IST
( Image credit : Freepik )
Okay, so picture this:You’re three oat lattes deep, your screen time is up 42%, and you’ve spent the past week low-key stalking people who already have that thing you’ve been obsessing over, better job, hotter partner, spiritual glow-up, whatever. You’ve journaled, saged, saged again, even chanted “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha” on YouTube at 2 a.m. (don’t lie). And yet… nothing.
There comes a time when you've done everything you were told to do. You’ve put in the effort. You've stayed patient. You’ve told yourself to “trust the process” so many times it’s started sounding like background noise. But the truth is: you're tired. Not just tired of waiting, but tired of not knowing why you’re still waiting. You look around, and others seem to be moving forward while your life feels like a still frame. You begin to question your choices, your timing, maybe even your worth. It’s in these moments that the Bhagavad Gita becomes more than just a spiritual text—it becomes a mirror. One that doesn’t promise instant answers, but reveals deep truths. Not with glitter, but with grounding. Here’s what it says about why you might not be getting what you want and why that might be exactly what you need.
“You have a right to perform your duties, but not to the fruits of your actions.” – Gita 2.47
Let’s be honest: You don’t just want something. You want it to work out exactly how you imagined. And on your timeline.
But the Gita reminds us, results are not ours to control. Only our actions are. This doesn’t mean stop caring or stop dreaming. It means: Do your part with full effort, but loosen your grip on the outcome.
Why? Because the tighter we hold on to how things “should” go, the more we suffer when they don’t.
Sometimes, life is delayed not because you're doing something wrong, but because you're trying to control something that's not in your hands. Let go. Not because you don’t care. But because it’s wiser to walk than to chase the wind.
“It is better to fail in your own path than to succeed in another’s.” – Gita 3.35
Not everything that glitters is meant for you. Maybe the thing you desperately want isn’t aligned with who you truly are, it just looks good from where you’re standing. We often confuse ambition with alignment. But the Gita reminds us that success means little if it isn’t on the path of your inner truth.
You can win by the world’s standards and still feel lost within. Ask yourself: Is this really your dream? Or is it borrowed, expected, or rooted in fear of being left behind? Because even if the world applauds you, if it’s not your dharma, you’ll always feel a quiet ache.
“Be steady in yoga, perform your duty, and abandon all attachment to success or failure.” – Gita 2.48
There’s a quiet kind of progress that doesn’t show on the outside. No trophies. No applause. No milestones. But it’s real. It’s in the discipline of showing up. In the resilience of choosing peace over panic. In the maturity of not reacting when you easily could have. The Gita teaches that true evolution isn’t loud. It’s inward.
So if things seem “stuck,” maybe they’re not stuck. Maybe they’re just settling into place beneath the surface, the way roots strengthen before the tree rises. You’re not behind. You’re becoming.
“When the time is ripe, the universe works effortlessly.”
This line isn’t from the Gita directly, but it is one of its teachings. You might think you’re ready. But readiness is not just emotional or intellectual. It’s energetic. Sometimes, life withholds what you want not to punish you, but to prepare the space. To align people, places, and possibilities in ways you can't yet see. Think of it this way: if you take a mango off the tree before it ripens, it won’t taste sweet, no matter how badly you want it to.
So don’t just ask, “Why isn’t it happening?” Ask, “What is being built in me while I wait?” Because the answer is often: strength, humility, clarity, and trust.
“The soul is neither born, nor does it die… It only passes from one body to another.” – Gita 2.20
This is not a spiritual loophole to escape real life. It’s a reminder that your deepest self isn’t defined by what you achieve or miss out on. It’s defined by how you live, by the truth you live with, and the grace you carry through uncertainty. The Gita doesn’t promise you’ll always get what you want.
It promises you’ll become someone strong enough not to be broken by what you don’t. And maybe that’s the point: To build a you who no longer needs to chase outcomes to feel full.
Sometimes, spiritual truths are not about feeling better. They’re about seeing clearer. The Gita doesn’t say “Don’t want.” It says “Don’t be controlled by what you want.” It doesn’t say “Don’t act.” It says “Act with awareness, not attachment.” And it doesn’t say “You’ll get everything.” It says “You’ll become whole, no matter what you get.”
So if things aren’t moving the way you expected, maybe life isn’t saying “No.” Maybe it’s saying: “Not yet. Not like this. Not until you remember who you really are.” And that’s not a punishment. That’s the beginning of real power.
Keep walking. Even when you can’t see the finish line. The path is shaping you in ways your desires never could.
1. Wanting Is Not the Problem. Being Attached to It Is
Let’s be honest: You don’t just want something. You want it to work out exactly how you imagined. And on your timeline.
But the Gita reminds us, results are not ours to control. Only our actions are. This doesn’t mean stop caring or stop dreaming. It means: Do your part with full effort, but loosen your grip on the outcome.
Why? Because the tighter we hold on to how things “should” go, the more we suffer when they don’t.
Sometimes, life is delayed not because you're doing something wrong, but because you're trying to control something that's not in your hands. Let go. Not because you don’t care. But because it’s wiser to walk than to chase the wind.
2. Your Ego Might Be Mistaking Desire for Destiny
Not everything that glitters is meant for you. Maybe the thing you desperately want isn’t aligned with who you truly are, it just looks good from where you’re standing. We often confuse ambition with alignment. But the Gita reminds us that success means little if it isn’t on the path of your inner truth.
You can win by the world’s standards and still feel lost within. Ask yourself: Is this really your dream? Or is it borrowed, expected, or rooted in fear of being left behind? Because even if the world applauds you, if it’s not your dharma, you’ll always feel a quiet ache.
3. You’re Growing Roots, Not Just Chasing Fruits
There’s a quiet kind of progress that doesn’t show on the outside. No trophies. No applause. No milestones. But it’s real. It’s in the discipline of showing up. In the resilience of choosing peace over panic. In the maturity of not reacting when you easily could have. The Gita teaches that true evolution isn’t loud. It’s inward.
So if things seem “stuck,” maybe they’re not stuck. Maybe they’re just settling into place beneath the surface, the way roots strengthen before the tree rises. You’re not behind. You’re becoming.
4. Timing Isn’t Just About Readiness. It’s About Ripeness
This line isn’t from the Gita directly, but it is one of its teachings. You might think you’re ready. But readiness is not just emotional or intellectual. It’s energetic. Sometimes, life withholds what you want not to punish you, but to prepare the space. To align people, places, and possibilities in ways you can't yet see. Think of it this way: if you take a mango off the tree before it ripens, it won’t taste sweet, no matter how badly you want it to.
So don’t just ask, “Why isn’t it happening?” Ask, “What is being built in me while I wait?” Because the answer is often: strength, humility, clarity, and trust.
5. You're Not Here to Get Everything. You're Here to Grow Through Everything
This is not a spiritual loophole to escape real life. It’s a reminder that your deepest self isn’t defined by what you achieve or miss out on. It’s defined by how you live, by the truth you live with, and the grace you carry through uncertainty. The Gita doesn’t promise you’ll always get what you want.
It promises you’ll become someone strong enough not to be broken by what you don’t. And maybe that’s the point: To build a you who no longer needs to chase outcomes to feel full.
FINAL THOUGHT:
So if things aren’t moving the way you expected, maybe life isn’t saying “No.” Maybe it’s saying: “Not yet. Not like this. Not until you remember who you really are.” And that’s not a punishment. That’s the beginning of real power.
Keep walking. Even when you can’t see the finish line. The path is shaping you in ways your desires never could.