CORE VALUES: DESIRE

Core values in an individual or an organization cannot be given. They have to be cultivated and emanate from the individual(s). They are the framework that facilitates all outcomes. In other words, they are the system that all situations are fed through.

The first core value we will discuss is desire. Desire is more than just wanting something or an urge. To begin to discuss this value, lets look at the origins of the word.

The word desire has it's roots in the Latin words de (meaning from) and sidus (meaning star). It is believed to be a literal derivation of the phrase "to await what the stars will bring". Similar to how good bye is derived from the phrase "God Be With Ye".

The roots of the word desire gives insight into the power of this value. Seeded in the phrase is the implied orientation of the desirer. They are orientated toward the expected goal, or looking towards the stars. Great leaders physically orient themselves to align with their goals. It is the process of aligning your actions and thoughts to achieve the outcome.

There are 2 types goal setters. The "want-ers" and the "desire-ers". To illustrate, let's look at the goal of weight loss. Saying, "I want to loose 15 lbs" is a reasonable goal. Why do so many people fail? Most people fall into the trap of being a "want-er". Their plan is to eat less, eat healthier and exercise more. Which makes sense, but does not align them to their goal. The people who succeed, look at their target weight and ask, "What does someone who maintains this weight do?". They eat this many calories, these types of foods, exercise this many days a week with these types of exercises. And then, they act out those things.

The want-ers are easily discouraged when progress is slow or trends in the wrong direction. This is because they merely want the goal. The desire-er focuses on the process and the becoming, so highs and lows are seen more as points on the journey.

When leaders who possess desire set goals, their plan isn't point A to point B. It is a process of becoming.

In the phrase "to await what the stars will bring" we see the word will. Definitive. Absolute. It WILL come. Put simply, to have desire means you have faith that it WILL happen. Will is a powerful word. The way we act about things that will happen is different than the way we act about things that might happen or could happen.

If the feeling that you will achieve your goals has been an issue, I will offer a few tips to help get over that hump.

TIP 1: Say things that talk about it like it will come. "When we get to..." instead of "If we get to..."

TIP 2: When you set a goal, look at yourself and decide who you need to become to have the goal be a natural result.

TIP 3: When you do not see the progress you planned, reevaluate the process long before abandoning the goal.