Quote of the day by Leonardo da Vinci: “As you cannot do what you want, want what you can do”

Disappointment often stems from the gap between our aspirations and reality. Leonardo da Vinci advised adapting by focusing on what’s achievable now, rather than fixating on unattainable goals. This principle, contrasting frustration with flow, remains relevant today, especially amidst social media’s curated realities, urging us to channel energy into present possibilities.

We often get disappointed not due to what life takes away from us, but from the gap, that void quiet space between where we are and where we desperately want to be.We have all been there at some point in our lives, be it through a job that we couldn’t qualify for or a relationship that didn’t work out.We often plan the ideal and dream versions of life, which simply do not happen. And in that state of mind, most of us keep wanting what we can’t have and keep comparing the present against an ideal that isn’t here yet, so much so that we feel stuck, and it leads to a blockade.Leonardo da Vinci lived in the 15th and 16th centuries, without any of our modern tools or technology, and still he produced work that the world, even today, hasn’t completely understood.He shed light on this beautiful idea through his wise words and suggest a way out.

Representative Image (Photo: Canva)

What does the quote mean?

Vinci doesn’t tell us to give up on our ambitions or sit down quietly and stop dreaming. He instead gives practical advice, that when circumstances block the path you wanted, direct your energy toward what the current moment actually allows. Stop fighting the wall and try to work with the door that’s open.This is the difference between frustration and flow. Frustration comes from insisting on one specific outcome. Momentum or flow comes from trying to do what’s possible right now and then dedicating yourself to that.

This idea holds relevance even today

We live in a time surrounded by social media, and more often than not, we see images and reels of other people’s careers, relationships, and lifestyles. Amid this, we tend to compare ourselves easily, and feeling that we’re somehow falling behind comes naturally.When what we want feels out of reach, be it a promotion, an opportunity, or a situation we imagine, the modern instinct is often to hold on and get after it.But Da Vinci’s words show another side to this. They ask us what we can actually do today? Not how we imagined it to be, instead, what we can do best right now, with the current set of skills, or whatever we have.Because the people who build meaningful things rarely do it when everything is under their control, they do it by channeling their energy elsewhere.