I Want It So Bad

Learn to transform unhealthy desires.

By Sally Kempton

First, bring your desire fully into awareness. Notice the words associated with it. Pay special attention to the emotional quality of the desire and the thoughts you have about it. Notice the emotional state it induces. Are you excited, uncomfortable, nervous, anxious, elated? Once you've identified the desire and how it makes you feel, ask yourself the following helpful questions:

How does this desire fit in with my greater priorities?

Is it beneficial to other people as well as to myself?

Will following this impulse hurt me or others?

What will I have to give up if I follow this desire?

Does it take me closer to my higher Self, or will it create more barriers between my soul and myself?

What will I have to give up if I don't follow it?

What do I really want by getting what I want?

After you've figured out what you really want, voice it. Articulate it. Make it real. Even if it's something vague, like "to be happy," you can still make it an intention. You might say, "My intention is to experience happiness in an intimate relationship." Or, "My intention is to experience happiness at work." Or, "My intention is to be happy no matter what is going on in my life."

Sally Kempton, also known as Durgananda, is an author, a meditation teacher, and the founder of the Dharana Institute. For more information, visit www.sallykempton.com.