Recognizing Your Heart's Desire

Many people have asked themselves, What is my heart's desire? This question can be confusing. Perhaps you arrived at a point when you felt confident in what your heart's desire looked like. You may have even started making the choice to go after it, whatever it is, only to have something get in your way, maybe more than once. This barrier that always seems to pop up may have manifested as fear, either your own or that of a loved one, that pulled you away from your decision. This fear of the unknown may have forced you to stay in your current situation. No matter how this barrier manifested, it seemed to get in your way every time.

Now, some people may believe this interference is a sign from the utmost. Or perhaps they believe that, by staying in their current situation, they will find a new happiness that will lead to contentment. So which is the true heart's desire? The answer is simple: It's the one that, when you see yourself obtaining it, gives you the most joy and happiness. It's the one that makes your heart race. When you experience those reactions, you will recognize that you have found your heart's desire.

The process that occurs when you connect to your heart's desire and then affirm that it is what you truly want is amazing. Life shifts, and things change. It sounds remarkable, right? Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. There is a lot more to this process, and I want to begin with a meditation to assist you in uncovering your heart's desire. I will follow this with some basic background information to help you fully embrace the understanding of living your heart's desire. Believe me when I say that the cliché about truth being stranger than fiction is ... well, true. Once you are locked in to your heart's desire, your life will never be the same.

So please get comfortable and let us begin our journey from a place of love. We will begin with the heart's desire meditation.

Heart's Desire Meditation

Settle yourself comfortably in a quiet place. Close your eyes for a moment. Take in a deep breath and relax. Breathe in and count to four. Hold the breath and count to four. Now, breathe out and count to four. Do this twice. Now return to a normal breathing pattern.

Bring your awareness to your head and allow your head to simply relax. Bring your awareness to your shoulders and arms and feel them relax. Now, bring your awareness to your back and allow it to relax. Bring your awareness to your chest and then your abdomen and feel your upper torso relax. Bring your awareness down to your legs and feet. Allow your legs and feet to simply relax.

Now imagine you are walking down a beautiful path in nature. The temperature is perfect, and there is beauty all around you. The sounds of the birds are like a beautiful song. The sky is a bright blue, and the colors around you are brilliant and vivid. Notice up ahead there is a beautiful waterfall flowing and a perfect space where you can sit and relax. As you sit comfortably there, take in a loving breath from your heart. Now imagine in front of you the image of your heart. Feel his or her presence. Ask, "What is my truest heart's desire?" Listen for the answer.

As you breathe in the answer, feel the loving presence around you. Feel the powerful energy of love surround you. Experience what it would feel like to live in your heart's desire. Allow that energy to grow around you.

Now, while maintaining that feeling, thank your heart for sharing this gift with you. Continue to carry that feeling with you as you begin your journey back. As you retrace your steps back down that beautiful trail in nature, feel the sense of gratitude for this time. Hold that love in your heart and, when you are ready, open your eyes.

Write down everything you experienced. What is your heart's desire? How did you feel about being in the presence of your heart's desire? Did it excite you? Did it place a smile on your face? Is there a part of you that felt childlike again, as if you were tapping into your imagination? Is there a part of you that said, "I wish," "If only I had ...," "That would be great if ..."

Welcome to your heart's desire!

If you did not understand clearly your heart's desire, let go of any discouragement and simply continue to practice the meditation. You will understand it in perfect divine time.

Living the Spark of Divinity We Are

Within each and every one of us is a powerful spark of divinity. We came into this life experience destined for greatness. We should live a life of abundance, one in which we thrive. Within each and every one of us exists a clear and divine blueprint for the unfolding of our lives' paths. It has been there since the dawn of our existence. All the books, workshops, teachings, and life experiences are simply guideposts placed along our paths to aid us in aligning with the life of divinity we live.

Each of us enters this life with powerful gifts. We knew of these gifts as children, but for various reasons we may have suppressed them as we transitioned into adulthood. All are part of the blueprint of who we are. Without exception, absolutely everything has happened and is happening for a purpose. This includes the good things, the challenging things, and everything between.

This concept can be difficult to understand, especially when tragedy strikes or we witness a senseless act of violence. If only we could pull back and see our entire lives stretched out before us, we would see how everything is connected and aligned just for us. It would all make sense. For now, we must trust and learn the lessons as they come.

Looking back at our lives, we can see there is a thread running through every experience, and this thread reminds us of the spark and the true essence of who we are. If we simply focus our attention, we can see it.

As you read this, I know you sense it strongly. It's part of who you are. It is who you are. Each and every one of us is a beautiful spark of divinity. It is now time to ignite your spark and allow it to shine light onto the blueprint of your life.

Within each of us exists the potential to be like our idols: Oprah, Wayne Dyer, Gandhi, Melissa Etheridge, Tarzan, Superman — anyone. Within me is the most amazing person, and I am destined for greatness. I also know that within you is the most spectacular person and that you too are destined for greatness. The question is: do you believe this to be true? It is vital that you realize this truth, for this where your power lives.

Within us all exists a desire that resonates from our hearts. This desire can be found in what deeply fascinates us in the subjects we read and in what we internally long to experience. Unfortunately, we often find that our current circumstances oppose what our hearts desire to make manifest. Our current life circumstances simply do not seem to yield this desired experience, and an internal struggle may ensue between what we desire and what our current circumstances require of us. This incongruence between what is and what we desire to experience can lead to turmoil. Relief comes when we discover this powerful truth: within each of us exists a blueprint — a map that guides our direction.

Some people, for various reasons, make the choice to stay within their current life circumstances. Over time, that longing within us continues to get louder and louder. Soon it becomes so loud that our life circumstances begin to be shaken up. The job becomes more difficult, the relationship becomes nearly unbearable, or the body manifests illnesses. All of these are indicators that it is time to make a change. The lives we have been living are no longer serving us; maybe they never were. Now the lives we live — the ones we would thrive in — are calling out to us. They're calling us to align with our hearts' desires and fully step into the lives we wish to thrive in. Are you ready to join me on a journey of discovery, the journey to uncover your heart's desire?

Every morning, I spend time in meditation as a way to prepare my being to write the words in my book. I want to inspire each and every human being on this earth to align with his or her heart's truest desire and to live every moment from that perspective. When we can do this, I know we will have cocreated heaven on earth. I know this personally because I have experienced glimpses of heaven on earth by taking a leap of faith toward that which is within my own heart.

A disclaimer here: Following our hearts' desires defies logical and rational understanding. To truly take a leap of faith toward your desire means that you must be ready and willing to toss out the spreadsheet budget, put aside the daily planner, and hit the pause button on the repeating litany of limiting thoughts that run through your head.

Begin here: Place your hands over your heart and breathe seven breaths, focusing them toward your heart. Now, visualize the life you truly desire to live. Allow yourself to feel this vision, and carry this feeling with you throughout your day. You will discover that, by doing this simple activity each day, divinely inspired action steps will appear.

How will you recognize a divinely inspired action? You will know by the excitement you feel in your heart. The sensation may be simple or complex, but you will feel it, and you will know the action is the right step to take.

It's important to note that everyone's journey is different. Some people may be filled with nervous excitement as they take their first steps, while others may feel scared as they step outside their comfort zones. Regardless of how you feel when you begin, take that first step. It is spectacular here in heaven on earth — truly.

The Four Keys to Living Divine Consciousness

In this section, I will discuss four "keys" that act as simple reminders of how to live in alignment with the Divine. They are as follows:

1. Be centered in the heart.

2. Release the care of how.

3. Play with possibilities using childhood wonder.

4. Be in a receptive state.

Living in alignment with the Divine assists us in staying connected to our heart center. When in our heart space, we are no longer in contrast with the Divine's plan or, as commonly referred to, God's plan. We are in perfect alignment with God's plan, which we will find is in alignment with what we truly desire. Being connected to the divine manifestations of our hearts' desires become effortless, fast, and fun.

At this point in my life, through all of my research, studies, and personal experiences, I believe that heaven can absolutely be experienced on earth. The Bible teaches that the kingdom of heaven is within us: "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21 King James Version). If the kingdom of heaven is within me, then isn't that where my heart's desires come from? If the belief is that we are divine consciousness being physically expressed through human form — a physical manifestation of the Divine/God — then within me is the desire to express heaven on earth.

So, what is divine consciousness, and why is there a desire to live it? In every workshop I have ever done, a thread of similarity in expressed heart's desire unites the attendees. The thread is to be happy and experience the sensation of soaring through life. During these workshops, just as when any of us attend any inspirational gathering, we feel alive, we feel hopeful for the future, and we feel as if something within us has awakened. I call this divine consciousness. It happens when we are aligned with the Divine — or in religious terminology, the God — of our understanding.

The question that may arise is, "How can we live in this state of mind more often?" I remember the first spiritual retreat I ever attended. It was back in 2009. We were at the Kanuga Conference and Retreat Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina. It was a powerful weekend as each participant experienced the God of his or her understanding. At one point, a friend and I shared a conversation by the waterfalls. She said, "I wish I could keep this experience every day, and not just have it here at the retreat."

This simple sentence has stayed with me since that moment. Why couldn't we keep those kinds of experiences? I believe we can. Within the depths of my being, I believe we will thrive in every aspect of our lives. Since this is a desire within my heart, it will become a reality. With that thought in mind, I present to you the four keys I have discovered to living divine consciousness.

Key 1: Be Centered in the Heart

We have discussed this in great detail previously, but let's revisit it. In every moment, we have an opportunity to choose. We either come from a place of love or from a place of fear. When we are in a place of love, we are in our hearts. When we are in a place of fear, we are in our heads. In each moment of choice that arises, all we need to do is exercise one simple activity that can take us from our heads to our hearts — breathe a deep breath. If you are a visual person, visualize a color for this breath, and see it moving from your head to your heart. If you are a feeler, then feel it moving down.

Close your eyes and take this deep breath. Give it an intention of "connecting with the heart." Simply doing this activity will bring you consciously into your heart space. Once you are in your heart, you are creating your life more consciously. When you are in your heart space, you are a "vibrational match" to that which you desire. This idea was presented in Abraham Series Seminars, as channeled by Esther Hicks in 2010. When we are connected to our heart space, we are fully aligned with the life we desire to live.

Key 2: Release the Care of How

In a time and culture of control, it's not simple for us to release the "care of how." We have developed an unhealthy habit of attempting to control every experience in our lives. Some of us control in ways that are obvious. Some of us control with our emotions or obsessive thoughts. We have our desire, and we focus all of our attention on, "How will I get this?" "How will I meet that person?" "How can I possibly heal?" "How ... how ... how?" Our minds become so consumed by these thoughts that we miss the essential step of surrender. We unconsciously resist that which we desire because we are persistently thinking about how it may come to be. Many miss out on opportunities to achieve their heart's desire because the opportunities that are presented to them don't match the exact images they hold in their mind.

It's like the old parable of the man caught in the flood. He prayed desperately for God to save him. Three times, people came to help him, but he refused their help because he was waiting for God. He knew God would save him. Eventually, the man drowned, and as he stood before God, he asked, "Why did you not come and save me?" God's reply was, "I sent you help three times, and you rejected each opportunity." Had the man truly allowed himself to let go, knowing his "prayer" had been answered, he may have seen the solutions right in front of him. This happens to us more often than we realize. We pray and ask, and think about and worry about how our desire will come to be.

Many of us became that drowning man. We obsessively persist in our prayers without taking the necessary action or having true faith that our prayers will be answered. Ultimately, our actions create resistance against the flow of manifesting that which we desire.

I remember a simple desire I had while ago. I knew I had a Sunday service to prepare for, and previous experience showed me that the services that left the biggest impression on parishioners were the ones in which I shared a type of magical story about living this life in a spectacular way. I had previously spoken at this church, so I felt I needed to present something fresh. I spoke my desire, with the corresponding emotions, and I surrendered it to the Divine. I let go of how or what I wanted to experience and allowed myself to center into my heart. The next day as I was driving into town, I experienced the magic I had desired. I saw a beautiful deer standing on the side of the road. As ordinary as this experience may sound initially, it wasn't. This deer didn't seem to be frightened. He didn't leap away as most deer do when a car approaches or passes. I slowed my car to a stop and pulled over. I opened my car door and slowly walked toward the deer. The deer simply stood there and looked at me. I placed my keys on the top of my car and squatted down to be the height of the deer. I experienced a magical dance with Divine/God as the deer approached me and allowed me twelve incredible minutes as I petted him as though I were petting a friendly dog. It even allowed me to capture the moment in a few selfies! To see these images, go to www. journeyforlove.com. The images show me smiling and laughing as I captured these amazing moments as the deer sniffed my hair and placed his nose under my chin.

Isn't he beautiful? After the incredible twelve minutes passed, I returned to my car and allowed tears of joy to fall as I expressed my deep gratitude for this magical experience. The Divine had heard me and responded in kind. I now had the topic I needed, and I would be able to present an inspirational service to the church members.