88 - Desire

Full transcript here 👋

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. This is your life. This is your chance. Listen.

The word for today is desire. Do you pay attention to your desires? Do you ever try to fight them? The word desire itself is a little bit loaded, hinting at sexual desire, but it can be more than that. Your desires should guide you toward fulfillment. I’ve been watching a show after my wife goes to sleep about neurobiology. I know… risque. The thing that strikes me, though, is that our desires exist on different levels, even physically. Our amygdala desires to keep us safe. Our thalamus and hypothalamus desire sleep and food. Our hippocampus desires organized memories. All of these mental pulls are regulated by the outer parts of the brain, and that gives us the strange ability to be divided against one’s self. Meditation is one of the best ways to harmonize these different brain areas by actually changing their shape and interplay. This is not just another pitch to meditate, though. It’s a plea to cut through the layers of desire to figure out why you’re here, inside this moment of your life. In his book, The 8th Habit, Stephen Covey says that we all have a unique voice, and we all have the ability to help others find theirs.

Today’s concrete challenge is to look at the intersection of your talents, needs, conscience, and passion. When you picture yourself, what do you find in the middle of those areas? Go ahead and write down some thoughts.

If you want to commit, say the following phrase: “I will search for the intersection of my talent, needs, conscience, and passion.”

I’ll keep the music playing while you get it done, and don’t miss the soundtrack at the end of this episode.

Before you go, repeat the following soundtrack, “I am the kind of person who can help myself and others.”

Let me know if this made a difference in your day by leaving a comment in your podcast app or at concrete.win/today.

Check back tomorrow for a new challenge. Until then.

References:

What Does Mindfulness Meditation Do to Your Brain?

Neuroscience: Understanding the Brain

The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey

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