Life is very simple. Human beings have made it very complicated.

As consciousness peering through bodies and minds, we observe the hardware of the body and the software of our genetic code. The bodies have certain requirements and the code makes sure we seek it out.

If we didn’t have desires, we would not seek out food, shelter, mates, safety for our children, and connection to the divine mystery of the universe. 

Desire is the motor that drives us and is essential to our survival and wellbeing.

In modern society, desires can take countless forms: candy, gambling, drugs, untold riches that we will never be able to spend in a lifetime, fame, and the latest and greatest luxuries. 

While there is nothing wrong with conscious and selfless desires, most of our desires are unconscious. We have let endless desires create endless suffering in our lives. 

We hear that desire is the root of all suffering. But sometimes desire can lead us toward finding our future spouse. It can lead to success, fun times, and good health. Desire is even often what sets us down the spiritual path. So is desire always bad? More on that here.

Today, most of us are no longer happy with food, shelter, a mate, and safety for our children, precisely because we have lost our connection to the divine mystery of the universe. We no longer trust this miracle of a universe. 

Typically, we blame one of the countless things in our lives for making us unhappy. But no matter what form our suffering takes, that is not the true cause of our uneasiness. This video explores the real cause of our suffering and how to overcome it.

To get back to our true nature, we must become conscious of our desires. We must recognize that they are merely a natural reaction to the urges that are programmed into us. We must recognize that happiness is not in the fulfillment of our desires, but rather in the process of fulfilling them.

Today we live in a world of too many options and we have choice paralysis. We spend all day entertained or lost in thought, and so we are disconnected from this sacred universe which is always here and now.

We spend most of our lives desiring instead of acting. All other animals act instead of think. If something bad happens, they get over it almost immediately. There is no real safety in the wild and so they do not expect safety.

We want happiness, but the wanting makes us unhappy.

Change desires to intentions. Then set them aside and get to work. Trust the universe that what needs to happen will happen. It is big enough to hold your fears for you.

Only when we realize the bigger self — the oneness with everything — do our little fears and desires not seem so big.

Much love,
Todd

P.S. Some of you have expressed a desire to meet up in person. Well, I would love to meet you as well. I’ll be doing a little traveling and so I created Coffee With Todd – meetups around the world to talk about life.

You can sign up here. The first Coffee With Todd will be in NYC. If you’re in the area and filled out the form, you will hear from me/my team with details on when and where it will be. Can’t wait.