“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” Epicurus
Inspiration: On Desire…
The Frogs Who Desired a King – Aesop’s Fables
The Frogs were living as happy as could be in a marshy swamp that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody and nobody troubling them. But some of them thought this was not right; they felt that they should have a king and a proper constitution, so they decided to send up a petition to Zeus to give them what they wanted. “Mighty Zeus,” they cried, “send unto us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order.” Jove laughed at their croaking, and threw a huge Log down into the swamp; it came down with a huge splash. The Frogs were frightened by the commotion in their midst, and all rushed to the bank to look at the horrible monster.
After some time, seeing that it did not move, one or two of the boldest frogs ventured out towards the Log, and even dared to touch it; still it did not move. Then the greatest hero amongst the Frogs jumped on the Log and commenced to dance up and down upon it. Soon, all the Frogs came and did the same; and for some time the Frogs went about their daily business without taking the slightest notice of the new King Log lying in their midst. But this did not suit them, so they sent another petition to Zeus, and said to him, “We want a real king; one that will really rule over us.” This made Zeus angry, so he sent among them a big King Stork. Soon, the King Stork set to work gobbling them all up. The Frogs repented asking for mercy but it was too late. Better no rule than cruel rule. Be careful what you desire…
It is so easy to long for what we don’t have, while forgetting to be grateful for what we do have; skills, friends, material possessions, loved ones, perhaps good health. We desire to have more stuff even when we are in the midst of plenty… Desires never go away. We can temper them by taking a closer look at our lives… What really matters? What is truly important? What do we really need?
“We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us.” Francois Rabelais
Inspiration: On Desire… Jupiter & Juno
Let These be Your Desires by Khalil Gibran
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself
But if your love and must needs have desires,
Let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook
That sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart
And give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer
For the beloved in your heart
And a song of praise upon your lips. Via poemofquotes
How often do we read about a successful or famous person who realized, after accomplishing so much, that they felt empty inside. They were overrun by their desires; they hadn’t expressed gratitude for their accomplishments; and somehow their true goal or life purpose got lost in the rush for more…. What really matters? What is truly important? What do we really need? More below!
