What To Want?
Yesterday I talked about the idea that we can influence reality. I asked the question what would happen if I would start to ask for what I want and that this might be all we have to do to get what we want anyway.
But what do we want? Years ago I read in a book a saying by the German poet Goethe, “In der Welt werden mehr Traenen ueber erfuellte Wuensche vergossen als uber unerfuellte. (There are more tears falling in the world because of fulfilled desires then unfulfilled ones.) That means suppose we have the power to influence what happens around us and assuming that we only have to ask what we want to get what we want we have to be very careful what to ask for.
We probably all heard these stories about lotto millionaires who after they won the jackpot wished they would never had done so since their lives turned upside down. Or the story about that guy who wanted to make a few hundred thousand in one year, ended up having a bad car accident and made the money in a settlement but spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. When I was in my early 20’s I had to spent one year in the German army what was mandatory at that time. I signed up for being in the navy. After 3 months of boot camp on an island in the Northern Sea came the time to find an assignment. Germany has one tall ship called “Gorch Fock”. It is almost impossible to be part of the crew since it is a school ship for sailors who want to become officers in the Germany navy and sign contacts for at least four years. But I had set my mind on getting to go anyway and I did. I crossed the Atlantic under sails. I sailed from Cadiz (Spain) to Santa Cruz (Canary Islands), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Philadelphia, sailed into New York on the 4th of July, Boston, Hamilton (Bermuda), Fort de France (Martinique), Baltimore, got hit by hurricane Bonny on our way to Sao Miguel (Azores) and left the ship in Malaga (Spain). It took six months from 4/30/92 to 10/26/92 to do this trip. I was 21 years old. Even though it was a great adventure I cried so many bitter tears during that time and did regret so often that I had signed up for being there. Crossing the Atlantic under sails was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I will never do it again.
But how do we know that what we ask for is what is good for us? We have to listen to our inner voice. We have to feel what is the right thing for us. Again it is important not to let our head get involved but listen to what our heart says. To make sure that we do not go into the wrong direction we can add, “this or something better will come to us.” And not to create negative things through our wishes for others we can even say, “this or something better comes to us for the highest good of all involved”. To visualize what we want gives it already a mental form and intensifies the magnetic energy that will pull it into our lives. Then we can let go of it until it becomes reality.
The important thing with desires is not to get attached to them. I want to make money with photography, the more the better. And of course I want to dance with the most beautiful girl when I go out. But do I let it get to me if I don’t? Absolutely not, I am happy anyway. This is why I have preferences instead of desires. I would like to have things a certain way but if not life will go on.
I think if we do that we are good to go. Have preferences how we would like our lives to be. Be not fixated on one outcome, be able to accept that something different might be better for us anyway and making sure that what is good for us is also good for others.
First we have to know what we want and then we have to ask for it. How can we get what we want if we do not know what it is? How can we get what we want if we do not ask for it?
"What To Want?" Manhattan/New York City/ Windows at Macy's 03-13-08 at 10:05 PM
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