All of us have desires—many of them, I imagine. As I move through any given day, I am always trying to figure out how to fulfill one desire or another. Sometimes I have conflicting desires. I want to stay in bed, yet I want to get up and start the day. I want to eat, yet I feel I need to take a walk.

Then there are the “big desires” such as wanting to travel to a foreign land, wanting to accomplish a creative project, wanting to make a difference to people in need, wanting to be able to break through my current level of awareness to a deeper, wiser one.

These large desires are of the soul or the heart, or perhaps you might say of the psyche. In Greek, psyche meant “life” or “breath.” It can also mean spirit, soul, our whole self.

There are some desires that are so deep, so strong, that no matter what else we have to do in life, we always will yearn for their fulfillment.

Some desires are possible for us to fulfill; others, unfortunately, may not be—yet there is always a way to find fulfillment of a certain kind.

What is the essence of the desire that you wish to have fulfilled? I find a creative outlet in writing. Even though I may not be able to travel to all the places I would like, I can research and write about them, put them into stories. My desires then take on a new form, and I can feel satisfied with my creative work.

What do you really want? I encourage you to find a way to express your desires, whether that is through actually attaining them, as long as they are helpful to you and to others, or through channeling them through a creative or altruistic pursuit.

I may not be able to help the all the children in war-torn Syria, but I can donate to a charitable organization such as Save the Children.

I may not be able to reach spiritual enlightenment, but I can read the words of wise masters and meditate on their meaning, trying to incorporate their wisdom into my everyday life.

 The psyche wants to breathe, wants to be listened to, and wants a response.

“There is always a realistic way to fulfill any dream. There has never been a dream that you can’t have – at least, not the heart of it, not the part you love the most.” – Barbara Sher.