I Want That! Not!

tyme2b4me ♦ February 25, 2012 ♦ Leave a Comment

 When our eyes see, the brain is alerted to desire, then  the feed-back loop drives certain hormones to surge in  our brains telling us  that we are in lust, whether it is for things, another person, food, or intangible.  Advertisers use  this well to sell us what they wish to sell and often something that we do not need. Visualize your kids watching the ads near Christmas, for one.

Many times what we yearn for is not realistic, practical or affordable. It may belong to someone else, and thus illegal to obtain. It may be something which would be dangerous for our self or others to have in our possession. It could be beyond  our financial means. But the desire still goes on, unsatisfied, out of reach like the gold ring when we ride the carousel.

So  now that we  have reasons to not satisfy this want,  frustration enters our emotions and we feel stressed out. What can we do to reduce this stress and also satisfy this urge to obtain? For if we suppress or repress these desires,  then psychosomatic problems may occur. Like head-aches, belly aches, indigestion, irritability, insomnia, and over time even depression.  We may need to settle for “good enough” rather than what we believe must be a perfect match for our desire. Like having hamburger instead of that steak we drooled after.

First, we must recognize and incorporated the reasons above into our being. Then we must form a secondary course of action. Something that is obtainable within our physical and financial means, that is neither dangerous or illegal.  This secondary course of action may be a counter-point to the first. It is using plan B instead of plan A. This is substituting something for something.  Like acting compassionately toward others when we are feeling angry toward somebody.     If we substitute, we are finding something else which is good enough. Our inner desires will have been appeased and satisfaction obtained because we will have had something “good enough.”