Reframe Your Life

Are you comfortable talking about death? Did you know that many people think just talking about death or going to get their will done is a harbinger of their own death? Death frightens us and we can get very superstitious around fears. I get it. I feel the same way. However, as my guest this week says on her website: "Spoiler alert - You're going to die." 

It seems like the right time of year to talk about death. There are several cultural days in the next week that recognize death, darkness and the afterlife including Samhain, Day of the Dead, Halloween and All Saint's Day. In Canada, we have less light with shorter days and longer nights. It's been a rainy few weeks and it is getting colder. The natural world is full of reminders of endings. 

Two years ago I interviewed Tammy Faulds on Reframe Your Life. She was just starting to focus her work on death coaching. She saw a gap in services and realized that people need support in preparing for death. Since then she has realized that we live more intentionally when we live with the end in mind. For more details and show notes visit the website above.

What are your heart's desires? And how do the choices that you are making support the desires and dreams you have in becoming a reality? I explore the topic of desires in this week's episode of Reframe Your Life.

A very basic definition of desire is a strong feeling to want or have something. We have lots of desires. I desire to be healthy. I desire to have good friends. I desire a good night’s sleep - especially after a restless night of sleep. You may have some beliefs about desires that make it difficult for you to trust them.

Here are some beliefs I have heard about desires:

• You can't trust your feelings or desires.
• Following your desires will lead you to destruction or harm.
• The heart is wicked and not to be trusted.
• Feelings are not scientific or factual
• You shouldn’t make decisions based on feelings or emotions

What messages have you heard around desires?

I remember the mixed messages I received over the years around desires, emotions, feelings, faith and spirituality. One day I read, “God gives you the desires of your heart” and I started thinking about things differently. If my very desires were given to me by the Creator then how could they be bad?

This week I was reading a book a friend gave me by Sage Levine about developing your business. It’s called Women Rocking Business and although I find the title a bit hokey I’ve been surprised to find the content so focused on the spiritual side of business.

She talks about our desires as being our Yellow Brick Road. They are the stepping stones that lead us to our destiny. When we start to pay attention to what we desire we start to make decisions that are aligned with our truest self.

And here’s a fascinating thought she shares. The word desire comes from a Latin root (sidus) meaning star or heavenly body. De-sire can be broken down to ‘of the sire’ which translates to ‘Of the Kingdom of God.” When I read that I immediately thought of the spiritual teaching, “Seek first the Kingdom of God."

What if following your desires is actually seeking first the kingdom of God? What if all the other stuff we take on, all the shoulds and oughts are really creating a barrier to being who we are designed to be?

I've been using Danielle Laporte's Desire Mapping Process for the past 5 years to help me explore my feelings and desires. I am an affiliate and you can click on the photo to find out more. The workbooks are inexpensive and are helpful anytime you want to do a deep dive into what's next.

Getting clear on your desires is the first step in reclaiming a healthy and vibrant spiritual life. Of course, desires need to be balanced with