One of the most powerful human emotions is DESIRE. Since every waking moment of our lives are spent in either trying to gain pleasure or trying to avoid pain, we are constantly acting to fulfill our desires. If you get hungry, you begin to desire food, so you go and eat. If you're feeling lonely, you desire another person, so you call up your friend or family member. Just about every moment is spent or invested trying to fulfill some desire.
Desire is VERY powerful. Throughout the history of mankind, there have always been groups of men who have attempted to enslave other groups of individuals. But it is the powerful desire of freedom that has always thrown off the tyrants. Throughout history, those who accomplish rare feats or reach the top of their fields usually do so in spite of others telling them that they are going to fail. It is desire that acts as the fuel to make dreams come true.
Desire is very personal. Only you can really know how badly you want something. Desires can get us to muster up the inner energy to move mountains in our effort to achieve our desired results. When Michael Jordan shot baskets day and night, it would probably be safe to say that there were others who stood around and said, "Why does he practice so much? Does he think he's going to make it to the NBA or something?" They didn't experience his desire.
Desire comes from within ourselves but can also be triggered by an outside force.
The advertising agencies on Madison Avenue in New York are the masters in triggering desires to the viewing audiences on TV. They try to appeal to the senses and backgrounds of the largest group of demographics watching each particular show. The ads on a cartoon program will appeal to the desires of children while the ads for a NASCAR Race or CNN Money Line will appeal to the viewers of those programs.
Then we have the infomercials on TV. They tell you about all the great things that their products will do and give you a super special that's hard to refuse. This is all in an effort to trigger your desire to pick up the phone and order their product immediately. Statistically, if you don't react to their immediate pitch, they lost you as a customer because they did not trigger your desire.
Almost anything can trigger desire. It's a matter of timing as much as preparation. It might be a favorite song from your teenage years that brings on a desire to call an old friend. Or perhaps a conversation with a friend, or confrontation with an enemy, that can trigger your desire to act RIGHT NOW and do something BOLD and POSITIVE.
I believe it's important to understand how powerful the emotion of desire really is. You need to do some soul searching to understand what moves you into action to get exactly where you want to go. In just a couple of days, the citizens of the United States are about to take part in one of the most important political elections in decades. Not just for president but also for representatives in Congress. Tipping the scales of balance in congress can make an enormous difference in what laws get passed. Laws have an enormous impact on everyone's life. Yet so many citizens have NO DESIRE to cast a vote. This is very sad!
We have soldiers stationed around the world who are devoting their lives to either obtain or promote peace and democracy for foreign citizens. There are a limited number of countries in this world where someone's vote in an election really counts for something. We are so fortunate in the United States that we STILL have the ability to vote and make our choice count. Yet so few people have the desire to vote and will pass on an opportunity to make a difference.
Where do YOU find yourself today? Do you possess desires the size of a burning torch to make a difference during your lifetime or are your desires the size of a flickering match? If you have a flickering match, then blow it out and light that big flame.
We're all fortunate that Michael Jordan became an NBA star. He gave everyone memories for a lifetime. We're all fortunate that Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft. We're all fortunate that the Wright Brothers kept trying to fly an airplane. All of these things were powered by the flames of desire. Whatever great desire you have, GO DO IT!
We'll all be more fortunate for your positive desires and accomplishments.