Our purpose here on earth: to manifest the very nature of our spirit, which is touched by the spirit of God.”–Rumi
Why our desires are key to our calling, purpose, and spiritual mastery
We are born to have desires–I’d argue that our life purpose is to follow our joy and highest purpose. Yet most of us were conditioned, since birth, to numb our emotions and follow societal conditioning, just like robots. Our societal conditioning–education, family, culture–dictate how we should behave based on what is acceptable to society. As a result, our shadow self is formed–we suppress, disown, and reject what it is that is deemed unacceptable by society.
As a result of this, we may not even know what our true desires are because they have been so suppressed by our conditioning. We may feel guilt and shame for feeling our emotions, let alone following our desires. We may numb our feelings through drugs, alcohol or other means, and tell ourselves that our feelings are wrong because to truly feel may mean that we have to let go of what we have been taught–and this can be painful.
Our highest calling will inevitably be tied to our desires, which are a result of feeling our emotions. If we don’t use our feelings as our internal compass, it is unlikely that we will know what our desires are. So if we were taught to numb our emotions, it is unlikely that we are able to follow our highest calling.
Why following our desires is not un-spiritual (i.e. it is spiritual to follow our desires)
Some people, even in the “spiritual” field, make desires wrong. They tell you to not desire and avoid your negative emotions. Some may even tell you to snap out of a negative emotion and focus on the “present.” They may have been conditioned to believe that negative emotions are wrong and unspiritual.
But this is not true. By negating your desires and snapping out of your negative emotions, you are escaping your truth. It is only through your emotions that you know what your true desires are.
Desires alone do not cause suffering. But resistance to your desires–negative beliefs associated with your desires such as pursuing your desires is “wrong,” and/or that you cannot achieve your desires–is what causes this suffering. You can accept what is, and still desire. The two are not mutually exclusive.
If you make your feelings and desires wrong, you are in denial of your truth and highest self. For example, if one’s genuine desire is to be with someone whom one deems as “ambitious” so they can fulfill a particular mission to serve the world together, and one is in a relationship with someone who is not in alignment with that particular mission, one may feel negative emotions in the relationship.
In the above example, if that person denies his/her negative emotions in the partnership, he/she is not being truthful and as a result, not be able to make a positive change. That positive change maybe actions such as a frank discussion of one’s wants and needs. And by avoiding one’s negative emotions and taking action, one may miss out on a more suitable partner that is more aligned to one’s highest purpose to serve the world. One may end up being miserable and lead an inauthentic life by denying one’s truth.
However, if one decides to follow one’s feelings and take the appropriate action as a result, one may decide to leave the relationship and pursue a more compatible partner. This may lead one to one’s highest spiritual path and mission to serve the world.
Why our feelings can help us reclaim our truth
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”–Carl Jung
Your feelings serve as an internal compass for you to achieve your highest purpose. An action step that feels “right” to you may lead you to another action step, and so forth, which may ultimately lead you to your calling. But if you negate what feels “right” to you because of your conditioning and deny your feelings, you may not take that step which would lead you to your truth and highest destiny.
Up Next: Part 2
We will be discussing:
- Why transforming our beliefs through shadow work can change our “destiny” and lead us to our highest path
- Why pursuing one’s highest path will ultimately lead one to face one’s shadow and spiritual mastery
