My dad was a man with purpose, so it was surprising when he occasionally paced aimlessly about the house, invariably opening and shutting the refrigerator several times before finally saying, “I have a yen for something, but I don’t know what it is.”

It took me a while to recognize what he was feeling. Children tend to know what they want. As we age, desire becomes more complicated.

And maybe simpler.

Eventually I too tasted the restlessness of desire without direction. If you are older than thirteen, you know the feeling. A yen for something, anything. Except, of course, anything you have.

It’s easy to feel the discomfort of this restless desire, but what if you paused to look again? Why not sit and explore desire? If you have a spiritual practice, use it. If you don’t, simply breathe and observe.

Stay open and aware, and you’ll be surprised by what you discover.

At the core of desire lies a sweet longing, your heart aching to be, to simply be. Since you already are being — you already are what you desire — you can rest in this longing and let it enliven your experience of yourself.

All of you.

Everything you are.

No longer restless. Now scintillating.

The joy of longing

At this time of year, instead of getting carried away by desire, letting it whip you into expectation and disappointment until you are exhausted and brittle, why not unmask and enjoy longing for what it really is, an expression of your joy of being?

Joy, the gift that truly keeps on giving.