WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?
Chapter Eight
The Learning Curve
Wherever you are on the "learning curve," you will find the issue of Minus/Plus/Pure Plus recurring, always presenting the opportunity to see more deeply into what is truly available. Scripture instructs people to develop "the gift of prophecy," which simply means: learn to understand what God's will might be in the presence of any circumstances. Whatever else might be said, learning what is really wanted in life is a developmental process for just about everyone. We tend to underestimate the process and treat ourselves and each other as though we are amazingly inept or incompetent for not having "mastered" this extraordinarily complex and difficult matter "by now."
When one is accustomed to living in the Domain of the Unwanted, the question of what is really wanted never comes up, at least not in a powerful way which is likely to bring the alignment of the universe. This raises an interesting issue: how do you even ask for what you really want? It is interesting to note that the Bible mentions EFFECTIVE prayer, making it clear that "ineffective" prayer also exists. At a minimum, it is well to mention that, when you live in the Domain of the Unwanted, part of your "prayer" or "request" is always tainted by the spoken or unspoken presence of what you don't want. In other words, not all your energy is coming from and moving toward what is wanted, which tends to dissipate the power of the "positive" aspect of your request!
A person can have years of "expertise" at dealing with the unwanted, a category which includes anything which is less than those things which are really wanted. That knowledge, though, simply doesn't "transfer" to what's needed for success in the Domain of the Wanted. To begin with, a person looks for different things in these two places. For example, a person can know a great deal about those options which seem "likely." That kind of knowledge can lead to expertise in choosing among less-than-wonderful options, for example, "the lesser of two evils." Knowing what isn't wanted can seem fairly compelling. We've been thoroughly trained to peer into "the space" and dredge up choices such as these, which is how my friend came up with the list of "stuff" he thought he wanted in his property settlement. It was almost like no one ever told him about a nearby fishing hole that yielded tasty fish! It took him years to train himself to function amongst the options which live in the Domain of the Unwanted. If you have been living in plus-MINUS, it may take you quite a while to completely familiarize yourself with the territory of the Domain of the Wanted, particularly the choices which exist at the Pure Plus end of the spectrum. The good news is that a huge number of options live there.