Desire
de·sire
The pull toward what you long for. Desire is a teacher: it shows you what you value, if you look at it without grasping.
Another way of seeing it
Many of us were taught that wanting things is greedy, so we learned to want quietly, or not at all. But hidden desires don't disappear. They turn into resentment, envy and 'what ifs'. Naming what you want is the first step to either going after it or honestly letting it go.
In relationships
Tell the people you love what you actually want: from them, from the relationship, from life. They can't meet desires they've never heard.
In the ordinary day
Write down three things you genuinely want this year, without editing them to sound reasonable. Read them out loud.
A question to sit with
What are you really longing for beneath what you think you want?
Carry this with you
Want big. Begin small.
Where it comes from
From the Latin desiderare, often linked to de sidere, 'from the stars'. To desire was to long for something you were waiting to see.
Try this today
Write down three things you genuinely want, unedited.
Journal prompts for Desire
- What do I want that I rarely admit?
- What lies underneath the thing I think I want?
- Which desire am I ready to act on, and which to let go?
Did this word resonate with you today?
Know someone who might need this word?