There are several new age, spiritual, and success "gurus" out there telling us we can be, do, and have anything we want. Yet, how much Truth is there to this? How many people have followed these teachings, but found themselves in circles of frustration? While there may be some Truth to the Law of Attraction and other such "manifestation" teachings, what else are we not aware of that has prevented us from getting what we want? "You can have it all" is very alluring and sells well, but what about our real limitations? What about the Truth there are more things in our world we can't control than we can?
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There's a large chunk of our population chasing dreams, living under the illusions that material abundance lies right around the corner - that since others have had such tremendous, glorified success, they can do it too - quickly & easily. "I can have anything I want? Sign me up!!!" I speak from experience, having spent years subscribing to mistaken thinking that it's truly as easy as "ask and you shall receive..."
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A problem I've found, is the source of our requests. At the promise of getting everything we could hope for, the ego goes nuts and quickly loses touch with reality Many of us - myself included - have formed our desires based on the influence of societal standards of success. Rather than choosing our wants based on what would best serve our spiritual, emotional, and mental growth, we've lusted after money and all the fancy luxuries it can buy. The enticement of easily fulfilled desires speaks loudly to the ego, which feels it needs these things to be worthy and happy - and while the intentions of those teaching us how to fulfill our desires may be honorable in many cases, it would be wise to examine the contexts in which their teachings apply, while taking the whole of spiritual truths & law into consideration...
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Is it reasonable to assert we know what is best for our highest good, and would the universe truly be in support of ego-driven desires? Is it possible the denial of what we think we want is a blessing, allowing us to grow and learn in ways we couldn't if every one of our wishes was granted? Is there a "Divine plan," in which our lives are driven not just by our momentary choices, but by God's will, or perhaps a karmic fulfillment? If so, how could we possibly be given everything we selfishly ask for?
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Clearly, our souls did not arrive in this plane simply to accumulate currency, possessions, and pleasurable experiences. Nor were we born as human "doings," to define ourselves by the activity we fill our days with. While the mind can't comprehend, our life purpose is really more a matter of BEING. We've been brainwashed to think it's a mechanical world to manipulate & control - yet, that we can see & touch is merely the tip of the iceberg, with that beneath being beyond our ability to reason with in the ways we've been logically trained. This realm of the unseen resides outside the dimensions of worldly ego...
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Having grown up in a consumerist society with a culture of shallow spiritual values & awareness, we - and I speak from my own experience, as well as from observation - few of us have learnt to identify "our heart's deepest desires." Few of us know who we REALLY are - disconnected from absolute Truth, guided by the poorly-programmed mind & survivalist ego, rather than the heart & spirit. Much suffering has resulted from aspiring towards goals we THOUGHT we wanted, while remaining unaware or ignoring our inner callings & drives. Even if we got what we thought we wanted, dissatisfaction tends to return quick, without our soul's needs getting adequately met. And rarely do our soul's needs get met when we abandon deeper spiritual truths for the chase of worldly ambitions and desires...
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Let's say we are generally unconscious to our soul's specific needs & desires - though, they may pertain to issues such as holistic healing, forgiveness, developing patience, compassion, acceptance, and inner peace, becoming increasingly aware, and transforming our negative patterns into positive. These have little to do with having, and doing only comes secondary to being. Our deepest desires aren't to have a flashy car, big home, and fame - rather, they boil down to being happy, healthy, free, fulfilled, understood, expressed, respected, and at peace in our relationships with both others and ourselves. We tend to think a big bank roll will give us those feelings, when in fact it is through our life experiences - regardless of material wealth - which those elements are cultivated...
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Many of us - myself included as a living example - have set our own agenda to conquer the material world, devising plans to cash in on the promise that we could "have it all." We'll often think we know what is best for ourselves - even though most of this knowledge is based in selfishness, ignorance, and spiritually-immature motives. Somewhere along the way, we've forgotten we're really not in control, and there's no way for us to ever know what's best for us in the bigger picture & long term; we've forgotten to put our faith in God and his wisdom...
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(note: I am by no means religious, and use the word "God" to imply a Higher Power, Universal Life Force, Divine Intelligence, or any other form the higher order of spiritual oneness & creator could take description in)
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There's a saying: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." In my personal life, I've found great Truth in this - discovering plans rarely work out. I've made many a plan - usually coming from a place of ego - and rarely have they gone according to how I would've had. However, despite the disappointments of failed ventures & thwarted intentions, I've had glimpses of a sense, that there lies a much greater order in the seeming chaos of life...
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As a part of being human, we all end up in situations & circumstances we had never imagined, doing things we never dreamed of (and perhaps even strongly resisted). It's impossible to see the details behind life's twists and turns, and we can't always make sense of why things unfold as they do. At times, we may find ourselves in relationships that make little logical sense whatsoever. We may have made tremendous progress, only to find ourselves what seems like slipping back into self-destructive patterns. Upon the path of growth, its inevitable we face turning points where it feels our worlds are falling apart. Yet, behind the confusions, paradoxes, and shock lie some greater purpose...
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We can never be, do, and have "it all" - we're bounded by time, space, physical restrictions, and unalterable laws. The limits of reasonableness may be stretched by the imagination, though empowerment requires acceptance of our boundaries of the moment. Yet, given the proper seeds, nourishment, and time to grow, we may indeed harvest the fruits of our heart's desires. To do so, however, we must be willing to surrender our personal agendas and embrace what each moment delivers us. Even if we are not able to understand the purpose of the conditions we are in at a given point in our lives, coming out victoriously requires our trust in the process...
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Navigating unknown, turbulent waters can be a challenge - the greatest trials of our lives, it may even seem. There is no easy route to success. It can appear we're heading further & further from our desired destination as we get swept up in whirlwinds of emotion, having to face painful truths & tough decisions. Our illusions get shattered, and we discover the sacrifices necessary to move onwards. We are humbled in the uncomfortable death of our ego, mourning the loss of our old identities, while freed from the misconceptions having kept us from creating & receiving our desires...
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In this process of expanding consciousness, our values & priorities are questioned in a way no book or teach can match. We may learn where we've gone astray and have misdirected our energies living a life our of alignment with who we really are. We may bounce back and forth between feeling like a lost soul, and gaining a vision for the fulfillment of our highest purpose in the here & now. We are invited to give up our ideals, so we should be clear & open to the perception of a Divine perfection at play - choosing to engage with the humility & flexibility to flow with the blessings & opportunities in front of us...
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Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we could receive is the realization that what we thought we wanted is not what we actually want, and though we may never be able to get everything we thought we wanted, we have everything here & now which we really want and need to create what we really want...
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How have we gotten in our own ways of finding fulfillment in our blessings of the moment? What is perfect about where we are in our journey? Setting aside our preconceived notions about what's right & superior - where are we perfectly located in the grand scheme for the development & sharing or our highest good?
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Are we open to letting go of our thoughts of how things "should" be and accept there is a force in this universe that knows better than us, providing exactly what we need when we need it, for reasons that defy logic & reason? Can we remain grateful in spite of everything in our life we might perceive as undesirable - trusting in the wisdom guiding our spirit through this maze of worldly experiences?
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Who are we, when the masks come off and lights go down? Behind the facades & stories, what lies unchanging as the background of our character, to drive us forward in the worst of times as well as the best? How can this self-knowledge protect us from being carried away by the ego's self-indulgence - staying grounded in the spiritual essence at root of all positive manifestation?
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What is it we most truly, deeply desire? How is God helping us be & achieve it here & now? And who knows best - he, or we?
written August 2010