Does having desire sometimes feel scary for you? It does to me. The idea of achieving my desires and being happy can feel overwhelming because it brings up issues around fear of failure. Will I always be examining my issues around perfection and not being good enough? Will I feel happy when I do whatever I need to do next or will I be disappointed again? Will I be able to learn how to receive?
Believing that I don’t deserve to be happy actually takes the pressure off to be good enough and alleviates the responsibility for living my own life. However, I have learned that practicing self care such as daily thought work and meditation allows me to connect to my true desires and leads to self worth so my desires flow and seem possible.
photo by Omid Armin
A dear friend sent me a clip from the great teacher Abraham Hicks. They speak of how we hold back our desires in part because of the fear that we don’t want to get it wrong. Therefore we stay in a lower vibration. Wow, did that ever hit home. I realized that I‘ve held myself back because I’m afraid I can’t do it perfectly. Ultimately, I’m grateful for this awareness. It opens up a world of hopeful possibilities and activities. Here’s a helpful five-step list to activate and get in touch with your true desires.
Five Steps to Cultivate Desire
Begin with a ten minute deep breathing meditation to calm the nervous system.
Give yourself a dedicated, sacred space to call forward your wants and desires.
Speak your desires out loud and write them down. Never underestimate the power of words!
Notice feelings of fear without judgement that come up when you allow your desires to flow.
Acknowledge the wise, compassionate part of yourself with complete acceptance and respect.
Practice these five steps daily and when the fears come up, practice letting them go. You are stronger than you feel.
Much of the work I do with clients is designed to recognize, process, and release their toxic patterns of painful beliefs, abuse, self sabotage, and shame. It is such a privilege to watch amazing warriors transcend into their greatness. It’s important to also remember the rewards of cultivating our desires and readying ourselves to receive abundance as an aspect of our mental health journey growth and you can begin this process wherever you are.
—Kristina Dennis, life coach