When you have a desire you have decided for yourself what should be the outcome of a given situation. You have become an ego-driven being intent on aquiring, discarding, or achieving something.
Desire can be very powerful. It can be more important than other people. It can be more important than other living things. It can be more important than the future, the past or even the health and survival of your very body, mind and emotions.
We all have these feelings. They start young. They continue until death takes us back.
The only peace in the face of strong desire is the continual acceptance of our ignorance, our inadequacy, our very limited point of view in the vastness of the cosmos.
I must admit every day of my life "I am not God and you are. I want what you want for me. I totally accept whatever that is, please try to get through to my dim animal brain what that is and help me to work for it."
Don't ever kid yourself that there is no harm in "flowing" with the ego-winds that blow across your mind. A smart ego-driven person can rationalize any behavior. Only one who can admit they are not so smart can have a chance of avoiding great pain and regret.
On Dec 8, 2008 Patsy wrote :