Third Stage of Seven: “Longing” The goal for Stage Three is personal autonomy, i.e. the ability to take care of ourselves in the world. During this stage, our energies are primarily focused on getting securely situated in life. The desire nature is the ruling force of third stage and our primary tool for getting needs met. Motiva≠tion towards successful achievement of every need or goal is initiated through desire. We have to want it first. The longing of desire, whether conscious or unconscious, is what prompts all manifestation. You might think of desire as an internal force, which emanates“ rays of intention”. Once directed, these emanations reach out and attach themselves to what we want, allowing us to be pulled towards our goal. The image of a lawn sprinkler shooting water haphazardly round and round might be a fitting one to describe the unconscious use of desire-driven will. We fixate on something and then we go after it, often without thought of what the consequences of attaining it might be. We indiscriminately aim our cravings here and there, and then complain about the chaos that inevitably results. The tendency is to feel victimized by any resulting negative circumstances without recognizing that we very likely played a big part in causing them. There’s nothing wrong with desire in and of itself. It is merely the immature and unconscious aiming of it, which needs revision. Remember, it is the desire nature that motivates us. Without it, we can accomplish nothing. The simple truth is that we are not supposed to escape the effects of desire, in spite of those well-meaning doctrines that teach us otherwise. We were each innately and intentionally wired for desire for the purpose of co-creating our realities. Our desires, though they may be the reactive, impulsive side of our nature, are essentially designed to move us steadily along the path of individuation. The purpose and task then of Stage Three is in learning to direct the energy of desire towards realizing what we want. What we believe will bring us fulfillment in the beginning is determined by factors such as the circumstances of our birth, whether or not we felt loved and worthy, as well as what we learned, by example, to pursue. We were led to believe that if we achieve this thing or the next . . . the right education, job, or material acquisition, we would be satisfied. We think that if we find the perfect mate, then our desperate need for union will be met. Many turn to a path of excess through drugs, alcohol or gambling as a way to achieve status and belonging. Unconscious longing for lost connection is the propelling force that motivates us to strive towards self-sufficiency and autonomy. This is the sacred function of Stage Three. Through years of trial and error we slowly develop and refine that force so that it becomes a conscious tool for manifestation. We slowly acquire discernment; the capacity to choose between that which is destructive versus healthy. It is through our desire nature that we learn to fine-tune the ability we’ve been given to manifest our realities. Next Page: Fourth Stage: Inflation
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