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Live The Desire
Live the DesireTake the time to be with yourself and go through a self audit. No doubt, if you are on your spiritual path, you have probably begun to drop some weighty things of your own along the way. Have you come to realize that the things you held onto so tightly did nothing but hold you back or slow you down' Perhaps you will come to find that people your once surrounded yourself with no longer interest you, or you may find that you are loosing the driving force that, at one time, caused you to work night and day in order to keep up with society's "advertising machine"; the one that made you feel "less than" if you did not buy into its promotions and gimmicks. You can be quite certain that your are beginning to experience a spiritual pole shift as soon as you realize that you can walk away from the things that you once held onto so tightly and still lead a happy life. Happiness cannot be found in the quantity of your life. Happiness, true happiness, can only be found in the quality of your life.
After performing your self audit, get a piece of paper and on it make two lists. Above the first list place the title "Needs" at the top and then take some time to jot down all those things in which you believe are needed in order to live a fulfilled life. Now, before you do this, know that according to Webster the word "need" is defined as "a lack of something necessary" so for this exercise list those things in your life that you do not have but feel are absolutely necessary and lacking.
Above the second list place the title "Desires" at the top and then list those things that you "desire" at this time. Again, according to Webster, "desire" is defined as "a strong wish or longing". The idea behind making these two lists is to show yourself the true difference between those things that are necessary to have in order to live and those things that will only add comfort to your life.
Certainly, we all "need" a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear and a job in which to earn the money to pay for those things (i.e. all of the essentials). You may find, if you are honest with yourself, that the "need list" may be very short while at the same time the "desire list" may be pages in length. This is absolutely ok for it is the human condition of our experience; to desire those things in which we believe will make our lives better, more enjoyable and more comfortable is a natural thing to do. A basic problem arises when the items in the "desire list" begin to migrate over into the "need list". It is at this point that need and desire become indistinguishable from one another in our minds thereby causing us frustration. Every person that I know of who has been trapped on the "conspicuous consumption merry-go-round" with their thinking that the more "things" they are able to acquired in their lifetime; the happier and more fulfilled their life will be, has suffered from the confusion in the definition of the terms: need and desire.
You will discover a curious thing: After a while, the items on the "desire list" will begin to disappear. What is happening is that as you become more aware of your spiritual growth and the gifts that accompany it, you will require fewer things that you once perceived as needed in order to bring about your happiness. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that you can lead a happy life while and not be weighted down by all of the trappings that you once thought were absolutely necessary to do so.
To learn more read: "When the Wheels Fall Off: The Metamorphosis of a New Age Man" (ISBN 1-4241-2749-1)