I Should → I Desire
Desire does not check whether you’ve completed your tasks, taken your walk, or made your morning coffee. It simply speaks—and asks only that you listen.
Every “should” carries a story. A legacy passed down through generations, reinforced by culture: the story of what ought to make us whole, what ought to bring satisfaction.
Yet beneath that framework, there is another voice. A quieter one. One that whispers not of duty, but of longing.
The World of Shoulds
I should tidy the space around me.
I should answer the messages waiting in my inbox.
I should stay productive.
I should postpone pleasure until it feels earned.
And yet, somewhere beneath it all, desire is quietly waiting:
I desire a space that feels calm and alive.
I desire to feel at ease in my body and mind.
I desire connection, nourishment, creativity.
Why does desire feel so fragile, so distant?
Should Feels Safer
Desire asks us to soften, to open, to trust that we are worthy of wanting—and receiving. Shame, habit, and learned caution make desire feel risky.
“I must first earn my place,” whispers the nervous system. “Then, and only then, may I allow myself to want.”
Yet in that hesitation lies a hidden truth: desire is not indulgence. Desire is alignment.
It is the quiet compass pointing toward what nourishes you. Not always dramatic, not always urgent—but precise. It knows when a simple walk, a soft meal, or a moment of stillness is exactly what the soul has been asking for.
A Practice: Question the Shoulds
Each time a “should” arises, pause. Ask:
What do I actually want in this moment?
You may discover that beneath layers of routine, habit, or self-denial, desire has been waiting all along.
Even desires that feel small, fleeting, or unconventional are messages. They are the whispers of your own energy field, guiding you back to ease, presence, and alignment.
Your Invitation
Listen. Notice. Act—not from obligation, but from the quiet pull of what feels true to you. Desire is not something to earn. It is something to honor.
Follow it. Let it carry you, step by step, toward a life lived in resonance with your own inner truth.
—Tarot 1111