Desire is limited space, isn’t it? There is a gap, a separation, between what actually exists and what you want. That gap is part of desire. And desire is what you actually are (as it occurs). Don’t create another mindless gap that separates you from the desire. The desire is you, not something magically separate from what you are. So, please don’t crudely say that you (as some separative center) “have a desire.” There is no legitimate center apart from what takes place.
The intelligent mind, without the illusory trappings of a false center, then has (and is) the energy to transcend limited space, such as unnecessary desire. Such energy may be deep and profound. But do not merely desire it. And some desires may be necessary… like the desire for food when hunger exists. Of course, we humans tend to have innumerable desires concerning things that are not necessary, and all kinds of chaos and problems emerge from such unnecessities. Society has conditioned us (and continues to condition us) to be riddled with (and “as”) innumerable desires (many of which are silly and unnecessary). Ah, those commercials!
We can be orderly, whole, sagacious, and deeply intelligent. Or we can be riddled with limited pockets of unnecessary greed and selfishness. We can be healthy or infected.
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Most profound! ❤️💯
Thank you, M.T. One hopes you are right. 😉
Here, here! Stimulating food for thought. Always enjoy your posts, my friend. Keep being you 😊👍
Thank you, A.E. I hope it helps with regard to helping deep insight flower. 😊
Tom, this grasshopper (I think) is quite prehistoric looking up close and yes, you can’t get much greener than this lime-green hue, can you? “Green with Envy” – I like it! The holiday season, it seems, brings out the worst and best in people … best, perhaps on Christmas Eve, when everyone rushes around saying “Merry Christmas” to you and the rest of the time they don’t even make eye contact. The Christmas spirit is more than gifts and greed, but sadly Christmas seems more and more commercialized each year.
Actually, it’s a mature Katydid, Linda. They like to — in summer — perch on the tops of flowering wild plants along the riverbank. I like how their ears are on their knees.
Christmas is more and more commercialized, but the “giving to others” can be a wonderful thing. I have been giving a lot lately to the Ukrainian Red Cross. Those poor people certainly need the help.
I have never seen a Katydid Tom – I hope to one day. Ears on their knees – wow! I went back to your site to look at the picture of the Katydid. (Today, I got your response to my comment in the usual manner.)
Yes, as to giving to others is good; “Giving Tuesday” is a nice gesture and they could have this “day” more than once a year to spur people to donate to others more often. The Ukrainian Red Cross is a good organization to help those poor people. I’ve never donated to a Red Cross other than the American Red Cross when there are natural disasters. I do give to some nature charities that I like as well. The costs to feed and shelter rehabbing animals is costly.
It’s great that you donate.
I donate monthly to the Environmental Defense Fund and to the Brockwood Park School in Great Britain.
Tom, I donate to Howell Nature Center and Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary, plus I heard about Best Friends Animal Society this year through a fellow blogger. They do something that I really like when people must evacuate quickly, like from natural disasters and wildfires, so people sometimes are left homeless and cannot take their pet to a new location, whether that location is permanent or temporary while their home is being repaired, but they want to reunite with their pet eventually (in most cases). Best Friends takes these suddenly homeless pets and places them in shelters around the country, wherever there is space for them, sometimes even using fosters. I donated after the California wildfires in January and also for a friend who is an animal lover and her husband passed away this Summer.
I also do virtual 5Ks every year for Fish & Loaves, a food pantry in the area and Running to Honor, an organization to help prevent veteran suicide (there are 22 veterans in the U.S. daily that commit suicide from PTSD from time served in the military). I’ve been doing a virtual 54K for the Michigan DNR called “Run for the Trees” for about four or five years. It is to help with reforestation efforts, but I don’t think I will participate in 2026 as I’m upset with the DNR’s position on Canada Geese and White-tailed deer. I may have already mentioned this to you – the DNR wanted to round up Canada Geese and their goslings and gas them since relocating them doesn’t work – they return to their “home base” and they want to cull the herds with sharpshooters every January. I know there is an overabundance of each species, but this is a cruel way to eliminate them. Their efforts were thwarted because people signed petitions and protested against the cruel behavior, so nothing transpired and both ideas will be reviewed again in 2026.
Great donations! 😊
I think so too Tom. I seek out smaller charities that don’t get the big corporate sponsors. 🙂