Just recently I read every being should have an ongoing list of desires. A simple record of everything you want to accomplish from the extravagant to the mundane. I sat down one day, took a deep breath, and asked myself what I most desire. In hindsight, I probably should have started with the ordinary like ice cream tonight or a free Redbox rental. Attainable and doesn’t require much reflection, but instead, typical of my philosophical self, I dug deep. What do I most desire for myself in this world?

In the story, “The Girl Who Flew With The Birds,” the young girl finds herself in a situation where she can’t turn back, can’t even back up and try again, but instead must trust in a desire she has tucked away from her everyday thoughts. I venture to say, every being on this planet has a desire like this girl. One we have hidden away so deep within our hearts that the journey to uncover it can be long and a testimonial to our strength.

Last summer, I unearthed one of my childhood dreams and allowed the sun to bring warmth to my desire of writing books. But as I sat just recently to write that list, I felt the desire of becoming an author was merely a facet of a much more rooted dream.

What came through to me as I sat in frustration, anticipation, bewilderment, and finally acceptance was my earnest desire to make a difference in this world.  As a detail-oriented person, I at first, felt this statement wasn’t well detailed enough because how actually am I going to make a difference. But as I pressed for more guidance, the overwhelming feeling was simply that this desire is what drives me in each every moment. In time, I will fill in the ‘details’ of how exactly I would achieve this desire, but for now, it is the groundwork for how to live my life in alignment with what I most desire for myself in this world.
from The Girl Who Flew With The Birds