Hobbits of the Heart: Desire, the First D of a Dream

What’s a Dream?

            How will you manifest your Dream?  Activity! (Right here is where I wish there was swelling music like when Hobbits do something heroic, but you’ll just have to pretend you hear it.)  Vision alone will not serve.  (Right here is where Vision cries amidst the swelling music:  “I can’t carry your Dream for you, but I can carry you!”)  You can visualize your Dream every evening and morning, but unless you actively do something to live your Dream, it will simply remain a wish.  You are going to have to go through the Dead Marshes of your Dream or climb your own personal steps of Cirith Ungol.  That’s nerd-speak for “sometimes it’s going to be tough.”  What’s the difference between a Dream and a Wish?

A Dream. . .                                        A Wish. . .

is proactive and constant.                   is reactive and fleeting.

burns within your heart                      flickers and fades 
despite all circumstance.                    as circumstances change.

pierces your heart, like a                    misses the mark of the heart
wound that aches to be                       completely.
realized.

is accompanied by passion,                begins with excitement and
tears, and joy.                                      spontaneity but soon subsides 
                                                            as the emotion fades.       

stays with you.                                    strays from you.

Your Dream is your Why.  Your activity is How you reach your Dream.  But here’s the million-dollar question:  What mind-set must be in place to keep practicing the activity when Dead Marshes and Steps of Cirith Ungol block my path?  I’m glad you asked!  You’ve got to be transformed daily by renewing your mind with The 3D’s of a Dream: Desire, Determination, and Discipline.  Let's tackle Desire today. 

Desire

The word desire originates from the Latin root de sidere, meaning from the stars.  Desire is attached to your destiny.  Most people think Destiny is something that comes from something “out there,” from a distance.  But destiny is not fate.  Your destiny is written within your heart.  It originates within you.  Your destiny is the unique combination of gifts within that you are designed to give on this earth.  Because of this, true desire can never steer you in the wrong direction.

Desire also comes from de sire, meaning from the Father. Desires are God-given, written into your very being.  Desire is one of the essences of your soul that serves to transform you so you can bring your unique combination of gifts to the world and play your significant part in this wonderful life.

A beautiful ancient poem reads, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”[i]  And just so you know, the name of the Lord in this ancient poem is I AM Who I AM. 

It’s a statement of each person’s ultimate identity:  I am who I am.  Being who you are fully and living who you are is your destiny and just what this world needs!  In other words, take delight in who you are, with the unique combination of gifts, talents, and strengths placed in you, and bring them to this time and place. 

What is absent in so many people’s lives is their heart.  Listen to what is proactive and constant in your heart.  Listen to what burns in your heart despite all circumstances.  Listen to what pierces your heart, longing to be realized.  Listen to your passion, a deep commitment to do something even if it brings pain and difficulty.  Listen to those things that bring tears because they touch something deep in your heart.  Listen to those things that bring great joy because all of your being is invested in it.  Listen to these and follow your desire, and experience fulfillment.  Rumi writes, “Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”[ii]

Written in the Stars

Do you remember Disney’s Pinocchio?  Jiminy Cricket’s song was about wishing upon a star, but, really, if you know anything about Walt Disney, you know he had big Dreams and many setbacks, including bankruptcies.  What made Disney continue?  Disney had a desire to create the happiest place on earth where imagination was king and Dreams really did come true, a place where tomorrow was today, and a place that showed people the realm of possibility.

The song When You Wish Upon a Star tells Disney’s life story.  The essential element making Disney’s Dream come true occurs in two lines from the famous song:

Anything your heart desires will come to you. . .

When your heart is in your Dream, no request is too extreme.

After spending considerable time studying people who lived their Dreams, the one common denominator, the difference-maker, the one essential component I found is the heart.  The desires of your heart draw your Dream to you.  Feel your desire and begin activity.  Your activity focuses on where you are, where you’re headed and how and when you’re going to get there.  Your activity and desire are connected.  You know your Dream.  You know what you want.  Your desire feeds your activity, which leads to the next essential component after desire, and I'll address that in my next blog.

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[i] Psalm 37:4.  The Old Testament.

[ii] Rumi. Quoted from Phillips, Jan.  Marry Your Muse: Making a Lasting Commitment to Your Creativity.  p. 75.  Wheaton: Quest Books. 1997. Print.