When we ask for our wishes to be fulfilled our focus is extremely narrow. We are fixated on pleasures which supply us with the illusion of well being.
Self-awareness can't be built on looking at our pluses and minuses before we look at the most basic essence of what we are.
We want something desperately and we try to force the universe to give it up before it is ready. We want everything now. That is the devouring self.
We are creatures of emotion. The idea is not to stop feeling emotions, but to stop being a victim of them. This is how we take part in life and truly make the most of our time here.