So what do flies, having directed desire, and running a race to win have in common? There are very few insects that illustrate "raw desire" better than the common house fly. Annoyingly so, a house fly seems to have no fear or even good sense when it comes to pursuing what it so desires in the moment. What we can learn from this tiny and annoying pest? The lesson is the value of raw desire to motivate us in persevering to reach our goals or dreams.
An athlete running a race is another great illustration of the difference directed desire can make in someone's performance. So what do you think would be the difference in the performance of a runner who runs a race to win verses a runner who runs a race without a goal in mind or with a "less aspiring" goal in mind? Someone once told that "The what doesn't matter of the why is big enough." Directed
desire keeps us focused and persevering. Directed desire creates a mindset of seeking solutions to obstacles instead of giving up. Healthy and Unhealthy Desires I would feel negligent if I would not bring up the whole issue of healthy desires verses unhealthy desires. All humans share common desires that are normal and healthy in and of themselves. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs illustrates this point. Desires such as wanting to feel like you are part of something significant and giving a unique contribution to society are examples of these kind of desires. So how can we tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy desires? Here are a few thoughts to consider:
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Healthy desires seek to help others and yourself and not bring harm to others. Healthy desires seek the highest benefit to all those involved. Healthy desires seek to grow and improve.
Sometimes we can "unwrap" unhealthy desires and bring them into the light to discover the healthy desire beneath it all. For example, the desire to be loved can be misdirected into
pleasing others at the expense of your individual uniqueness. Directing that desire into seeking friends who accept your unique individuality is taking that desire "out of darkness and into the light of healthy living." Summing It Up Two great illustrations of directed desire are the common house fly and a runner running a race to win. They both illustrate the truth that directed desire keeps us from giving up but seeking solutions to obstacles that come our way. The difference between healthy and unhealthy desires is that healthy desires seek to help others and yourself and not bring harm, they seek the highest benefit of all those involved, and seek to grow and improve.
Your Takeaway So do you have clear goals and/or dreams that are inspired by healthy desires? Do your desires illustrate everyones' highest benefit and lead you into growth and change? Do your desires motivate you to seek solutions and overcome obstacles to your goals? Does your life illustrate healthy and directed desire like the directed desire of flies and a runner running to win?