LET Your Heart DESIRE.

13 Aug LET Your Heart DESIRE.

“It is our actions and desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life.”

~Dallin H. Oaks

Here’s a question you may not have been asked in a while: “What do you want?” I can hear many of you instinctively saying, “a nap” (or maybe that’s just me), but, for some, this question will be quite difficult to answer. What do you want? Have you given it any thought lately?

Let me ask you another question: “What do you need?” This may be even more difficult to answer, for needs are certainly different than wants, aren’t they? Often the two seem diametrically opposed—I may need less sugar but want that Ghiradelli bar. Or, a common one with moms—I may need to go to sleep but want to stay up and enjoy the bliss of a house full of quietly sleeping children. So I ask again, what do you need?

Now, one last question: “What do you desire?” Desires are deeper than mere wants or even needs. They are less fleeting, and based, not on situations and circumstances, but on the soul’s longing. Desires form the foundation of who we will become.

Dormant Desire=We Remain Stuck

Do you have any idea what your desires may be? If so, congratulations! You’re among the lucky few who have kept that connection with yourself. If not, why not? Is it simply that life is too busy for desires? Does it feel like you’re attending to the desires of so many others, you don’t even have space to consider your own? Or might it be that you feel unworthy of even having desires?

Unfortunately, for many of us, desire is dormant. It may have been there back in high school, or college, or before your career took off or you started your family. But, once those desires were fulfilled you got so caught up in the daily routine of life, you have forgotten to stop and let our soul speak. You have forgotten to desire again.

 
For a long time, I felt unworthy of desiring. Feeling like my life had been suddenly turned upside down, I reasoned, “Well, God’s just going to do what He wants with my life anyway. There’s nothing I can do to change fate. So, why should I desire anything?” Really, though, I was afraid. Afraid to take chances, and afraid to fully live again. The problem, I learned, was that, once we feel it’s impossible to desire, we give up. And when we give up desiring, we remain stuck. I was definitely stuck.

Desire is a Good Thing

It took some time and lots of work, but I eventually realized that desire is a good thing. It’s not only a good thing; it’s essential to a meaningful, flourishing life. Now, I’m not talking about the sexy kind of desires that get folks into trouble, of course. I’m talking about the deepest, most heartfelt hopes and dreams you have for how your life may unfold and who you will become. Whether better relationships, a successful business, increased energy, or enjoying motherhood, cultivating worthy desires is crucial to a joy-filled life.

Why is Desire So Important?

It has been said that “…desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions,” which determines who we become.[i] Here is the formula, in simpler terms:

Desire→Priorities→Choices→Actions→Who We Become

What do you think? Makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s hard to make, say, family a priority without the desire for family. Our priorities then shape our choices and actions, which eventually form who we become. Yet how often do we focus on our actions, on our choices, or even our priorities, in order to become something better?  It’s good to look at our actions, choices and priorities, for sure. But, perhaps the reason it is so often difficult to make lasting change is because we fail to start at the core, building strong, healthy desires. 

Let Your Heart Desire. And, Grow.

Desire is the seed of all creations. We grow from our desires, and the fruits we bear are even greater than what we could have imagined. Little by little, our desires form us into a master creation, with the help and guidance of the Master Creator.

We can do much good in this world, in our own unique ways. But, we must first desire. So, choose today to let your heart desire. Plant the seeds that will allow you to become a thing more beautiful and glorious than your little heart can imagine. For you will, if you let your desires grow.

~This post is an excerpt from my forthcoming memoir, This is How We Grow. Look for it, November, 2013!