“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.” ―Mahatma Gandhi
Are you living the life of your dreams? Or do you secretly wish things were different?
In my first column, “The Power of Choice: 5 Keys to Accelerating Wealth, Health & Happiness” , I revealed the 5 Keys; now, we will delve deeper into the first key, which is desire.
You are the creator of your reality. You are 100 percent responsible for the life that you are living. Maybe you didn’t choose it all consciously (in fact, you probably didn’t), but instead created it subconsciously or unconsciously. This is possible because your beliefs―both conscious and unconscious―create your thoughts, and your thoughts create your reality.
Desire is the first key to accelerating wealth, health, and happiness because whenever you have a wish, dream, hope, or intention, you plant a seed from which a new reality can grow. Whether this seed will flourish or remain hidden underground depends―you guessed it―on your beliefs.
Your desires drive your actions and decisions every day. As human beings, we inherently strive to create more good things in our lives, like fulfillment, security, vitality, success, love, joy, and inner peace. We also strive to fulfill the purpose we were born to. Our desires, hopes, and ambitions make us human, but when they are in alignment with our true selves, they also fuel our purpose.
From the moment we get out of bed in the morning, we are moving toward something we want, even if it’s something as simple as that first sip of coffee. But our bigger desires―the desires that plant the seeds of lifelong happiness, abundance, and health―aren’t always so simple to fulfill. In order for these desires to bloom into our reality, we need to make sure that our beliefs nourish them on both the conscious and subconscious levels.
Do you believe that you’re worthy of the life you desire? Or, when you’re alone, and things are quiet, do you hear a secret inner voice saying, “You’re not good enough for that”? If so, it won’t matter how much you shout your ambitions to the outside world, because the beliefs which create your thoughts, actions, and habits aren’t lining up with what you say you want.
In order to use the power of desire to create a bigger, better reality, we need to learn to differentiate between the two internal voices that guide us and shape our beliefs. One of these voices is ego―the touchy, vulnerable sense of self that prefers the safety of the status quo than the challenge of change and expansion. The ego thrives on tripping us up in order to prove itself right, and must be quieted before we can hear the other inner voice, the one that really matters.
Our second inner voice is the voice of Source. This is the voice that says, “Yes, you can!” and “You are meant for this.” It’s the voice that speaks your deepest, truest dreams and desires―the ones that really fulfill you and move you forward.
How do you tell the difference between Source and ego? When you are alone and envisioning the life of your dreams, pay attention to what your first vision looks like: the dream that shows itself before your ego talks you out of it, the dream that makes you feel like you can fly. That dream is your true desire, and it is connected to Source.
Your inner Source-connection can show you your deepest, truest dreams and desires, but it can’t make them happen for you. You need to do that by changing your beliefs, thoughts, actions, and habits.
We live in a free-will universe, but there are laws that rule how it operates. These laws are neutral; they are neither good nor bad. Everything in our universe is energy. You can attract energies that nurture your desires, fulfill you, expand you, and touch others in positive ways. Or, you can attract energies that work against you, and move you further away from what you really want.
In order to attract the energies that contribute to the fulfillment of your desires, you need to understand what your desires actually are. True desires, which are tied to your greater purpose, your authentic self, and your inner Source, are often different than (or even counter to) the desires of your ego. When you are not in touch with your inner Source, you can end up chasing material possessions or temporary pleasures, believing that they will buy fulfillment. But satisfying these desires won’t make you happy for more than a moment at a time; in fact, by feeding them, you may find yourself in a never-ending pursuit of “the next big thing.”
How can you know if your desires are coming from your true self or your ego self? It’s simple: when a desire emerges, ask yourself: “Is this desire more about being, or doing? Giving, or getting?” Being and giving are usually soul desires.
Supporting Your Desires Through Action
Once you are in touch with your true, Source-given desires, look at your beliefs, thoughts, and habits to see if they are moving you closer to, or further away from, those desires. Ask yourself, “Am I being what I want to attract?”
For example: if more money is what you desire, are you currently being a good steward of money? Money is just a tool, after all; what you create with the money you have decides how much more you will attract. If you’re looking for a great relationship, are you treating yourself with the love you want to receive? If you desire better health, are you truly seeking to nourish yourself from the inside out, or just eating “right” because someone said you should?
If you want to live with the greatest purpose, passion, and contentment, your desires have to line up with who you are at a soul level. When you are connected to that energy, you will be unstoppable. Just as Nature fills a seed with everything it needs to grow, your inner Source and true self can fill your desires with everything they need to manifest. When you quiet the voice of ego, and listen instead to the voice of Source, your beliefs will support your thoughts, your thoughts will support your actions, your actions will support your habits, and your habits will create a new reality for you every day. Everything in your life will begin to fall into place with greater ease and joy, because everything you do each day will be in total alignment with your soul’s desires.
It sounds like a lot, I know. But, chances are, you’ve experienced this already! Think of a time in your life when everything seemed to be falling into place. You made a good decision, and it started a cascade of positive events. This magic happened because you were in alignment with Source and your true self―and you can recreate it again, anytime you want!
Life is not meant to be a struggle. We create our own struggles. When we are out of alignment with Source, and giving too much attention to ego, we can start to feel depleted, defeated, and lost. We start to believe that our ego is right: we aren’t good enough, worthy enough, or smart enough. We then start to engage in thoughts, actions, and habits which don’t serve our greatest good, which in turn creates more problems, and can even make us give up on our dreams.
Here are some simple ways to open the connection to your Source and true self:
- Acknowledge the inner voices you hear on a daily basis. Which support you? Which bring you down? Sort them out so you can choose which ones to listen to.
- When you quiet your thoughts, you are more likely to hear the voice of Source clearly.
- Become judgment-free. Stop telling yourself that what you desire is wrong. If your desire is coming from your authentic self, it is tied to your purpose, and you are meant to fulfill it.
- Work with intention, not outcome. Hold the intention of what you desire, and take action to achieve it, but detach from the outcome. Stand aside and watch the process unfold, and trust that you will know what to do when the time comes.
- Believe that you are worthy. One of the laws of the universe is, “Like attracts like.” What you focus on expands. If you are constantly thinking of your unworthiness, you will undermine your efforts to fulfill your soul’s desires. Conversely, if you believe that you are worthy, you will attract circumstances, people, and opportunities that support that belief.
Understanding your deepest, Source-driven desires―and supporting them through your beliefs, actions, and habits―is the first step toward accelerating wealth, health, and happiness in your life. So dream big, and trust that everything you need to fulfill your biggest dreams and desires is already inside you. Your soul knows the way for you to grow and blossom: all you have to do is follow.
