Life is all about desire. The only reason we are here (or still here…), in fact, is because we want to be here — or someone wants us to be here. The word “desire” may sound materialistic or self-indulgent; and we often shun the idea of desire — trying to suppress it whenever we can — as something bad that we shouldn’t have or succumb to. Well, Socrates said, “The beginning of wisdom is in the definition of terms;” so, let us agree upon some things for the sake of clarity.

First, a desire is simply something you want; it is implied that you want the things you need — as well as some things you really don’t need. In fact, you might even desire something that turns out to be harmful to your body in some way; but it is still a desire and anything that brings pain also brings wisdom. We all have hopes, dreams, prayers, desires, wants, needs, wishes, intentions, aspirations, goals, or some “change” we would like to experience — usually a change “for the better,” as some would say.

Also, on one level or another (consciously, unconsciously, etc…), everything we do is driven by desire. We breathe in the middle of the night because we desire to live — even though we are not consciously choosing to do so. Some part of us recognizes that in order to fulfill a specific desire, we must take certain specific actions. We notice things in our world and we may feel a desire to experience more or less of a particular thing — even our indifference is based on our desire to move on to something more interesting (more desirable) to us.

We base our desires on the contrast between one thing and another — and our judgments about what each thing means to us. Then, we fix our attention based on our judgments; and we begin to “lean” in one direction or another. By “lean,” I simply mean that our thoughts — conscious and unconscious — have a tendency to correspond to that which our attention is resting on. And then our emotions follow our thoughts — stimulating words, actions, and change.

When we have a desire, we seek it out if we are wise; if we are “unwise,” we casually hope that our desire finds us one day — because we simply don’t know what else to do. But the fact remains that we are all looking for something. Even if we seek only peace and solitude, that is our desire. If we want nothing, our desire is for nothing. Some people want everything and some people want nothing; but we all want something. And if you want it, what you really want is the EXPERIENCE of it — you are desiring a new reality in which there is “this thing” rather than “the absence of this thing.”

If you are engaged in life, you are observing with your physical senses and intuiting — to some degree — with your heart; you are noticing the differences between things and hoping to create a reality that includes the elements you observe and like the most. If you are less than perfectly content, then you surely have an unfulfilled desire; and if you have a desire, you are seeking change. If you are seeking change — you will find it. The ancient wisdom on the subject reminds us, “Seek and ye shall find.” You get what you ask for and you find what you are looking for.

So, I ask again: What do you want? If you don’t know, you still have desires; they are simply hidden, or unconscious, desires — desires that you have suppressed or are unaware of for some reason. Spend some time sitting quietly, thinking about what you want; if you want nothing, or don’t know what you want, you’ll need to think about “nothing.” Some call this “meditation;” but when you sit in silence, the voice of your inner self can be heard — along with its desires.

Desire is natural at all levels of nature. In the Lord’s prayer, one line reads, “…thy WILL be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” That line clearly acknowledges that even God, or that deepest source of our life and all that is in it, has desires or intentions; and, we either get our desires naturally, inherently, or our desires are God’s desires for us — experienced through us and our senses and emotions. In any event, you need to look inside first — into your heart, desires, and thoughts. You must specify what you want; you must specify exactly what you are seeking.

Imagine going into the library and asking for a book — no book in particular, just “a book.” “Hello,” you say to the librarian, “I’d like a book. Do you have any?” You are certain to get a book; what is in the book, and how much it helps you is completely up in the air. In fact, you might get a book thrown at you if you keep asking for, “just any old book…” Likewise, imagine walking into a fast food restaurant and ordering, “Food, please.” I wonder what would happen? The point is that you are constantly looking for things; and you are constantly receiving exactly what you are seeking, or asking for — not necessarily those things you notice you are “missing.”

If you are looking for something specific, you find exactly what you are looking for; or you keep looking until you do. If you are looking for nothing in particular, you find nothing in particular. If you are looking for a bunch of different things, you find a bunch of different things. Ask yourself what you want; and be specific. Then, ask yourself if you want this thing enough to spend time thinking about it. If you do, then think about it. And, hold on tight to your dreams; they’re all you’ve got — even if you don’t know you’ve got them.

Everyone wants their prayers answered. But few people realize that their prayer IS their answer. Your prayer is your desire; and your answer is your desire — in a physical form. They [prayers and answers] are simply two different forms of the same thing — like water and ice. All you need in order to change the invisible (desire) into the visible (answered prayer) is the right amount of a certain kind of energy. But you must have a focal point for your energy, or it will remain scattered and unfocused; and your life will, as a result, remain scattered and chaotic — causing stress and a variety of problems. A goal or desire gives us a focal point for our mental energy, or attention. They say, “The best place to start is at the beginning;” and the beginning is the end — or Answer. You start with, “What I want is…;” and you end up with, “This is just What I wanted!” — a physical version of your desire.

So, I ask again: What do you want?

by Pete Koerner, Author of The Belief Formula, and all round great guy

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