Coveting

        "Coveting is a dangerous pastime. It can be habit forming Desiring in intense ways is seldom a positive action. We're not talking here of goals that one desires or an intense desire for certain achievements or accomplishments. We're speaking of desire in an obcessive way or desiring that which not does belong to you.

        Where does this desire, this coveting come from? What is it that drives one to wish for and sometimes to try to take what another has or to covet the same. It is a lack of satisfaction and/or contentment that pushes the emotion behind coveting. It is looking at what another has and seeing in it certain status, or symbols of achievement that seem to indicate success or brings admiration. It is sometimes an emptiness that has no name that yearns to be filled. It is a hard lesson learned that those who sometimes get what they so strongly coveted find that it is not at all what they thought it was or the results what they thought it would be.

        We aim for achievement and success. We say a person has 'drive', a push to succeed and that can be a positive use of energy and a focus on a goal. Yet what happens when it is achieved? Where does one go next? Is it a fulfilling time, or is it an indication that something else must be reached for? People sometimes look at those around them who seem to have things better, those with a special flair, a certain lifestyle. Then the coveting cycle begins again. When it is achieved there is a special satisfaction and pleasure with what one has accomplished. Some can stop there and some must again begin a new cycle of wanting.

        Coveting is concerned with visual appearances. It is what can be seen as a symbol of one's achievement. It is a sign that can be visualized by others. It requires an audience, for the most part, though there are those who covet for the sense of self satisfaction. Coveting extends to material symbols - the jewelry, the car, the house that says "Look at me - I made it". 'Making it' can come at a high price. Families are broken up or health is adversely affected. Most importantly, life is lived in such a way that many things are missed that would make for a happier journey.

        Set your goals and revise them when necessary. Reach for the best in you. Search for that which can make you feel content, but in the searching, be aware that it is better to set goals for one's self that are worthwhile, not to covet what may be bigger and better that another has gained. Only you, yourself, can know when it is best to stop wanting more and more. This takes insight and awareness. Look at what you are doing with your life. Look at how you are living it day by day. Evaluate what is best for your growth as an individual, not what is best by someone else's standards. Be content."