What do we do when we want to change some aspect of our lives but we lack the desire to do so? We know we should change but the motivation escapes us? It feels as though this absence of desire is completely out of our control and only comes upon us if it chooses to do so. We can all empathize with this dynamic in some form or fashion when it comes to dieting, exercise, reading, writing, stopping an addiction, being more extroverted, cleaning, etc. The list goes on and on. If we accept this passive, powerless position then life will be full of heartache, pain, and emptiness. We will be driven ever inward blaming something or someone for our cursed life.
What is the alternative? If we do not have the desire then we do not have the desire…right? We can’t just magically make this desire appear…can we? No…magic is not involved and it won’t just appear as we so desperately wish it would. Instead, desire, much like many aspects of life, follows the laws of nature…most specifically the law of growth.
Growth, as observed in the natural world, happens slowly and incrementally but starts with a seed. To achieve our desired landscape, a landowner strategically places a seed in a specific location on his property. The initial decision to plant a seed is preceded by an observation. The landowner wants a specific type of plant, in a specific location, for a specific purpose. Next, he proceeds to plant the seed. This interim period from planning to execution may have taken hours, days, weeks, months, or years. The time variation is dependent on the landowner’s willingness to simply plant the seed. Once he makes the decision and actually starts the process then the growth can start. There is no way around this. He must make, and follow through with, the decision to start.
Upon planting the seed and providing the proper nourishment of sun, water, and soil the seed will grow if it is a good seed. The growth he observes will motivate him to continue the process of nurturing the seed. As it grows so does the landowner’s desire to nurture it. The process continues until the seed fulfills its purpose and becomes a beautiful tree bearing fruit, flowers, or shade. It is now strong, self-sufficient, and provides great value to the landowner. It becomes one with the landscape, deeply rooted in its place. None of this could have occurred without the initial decision to have faith and take that first step of planting the seed.
We are the landowners. The seed is the attribute, characteristic, or habit we want to possess but lack the desire to do so. By leveraging our “want” we can find the motivation to take that first step of planting. That first step, which is a decision we have control over, kick-starts the growth process. In these early stages we will observe a change, feeling, or some sort of result that will provide the needed motivation to continue. The process has started and if we are diligent it will grow into something beautiful. If the nurtured activity, attribute, or goal does not yield fulfillment, change, and growth we may need to reevaluate if this seed is a good seed. Is it something we should continue to pursue? Careful…we need to be honest in our evaluation of the effort we have put forth to nurture the seed enough to see it grow. Have faith! Take the first step and allow the subsequent process to carry us towards fulfillment, peace, and happiness.
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