In between yearning and death

What is one’s relationship to his or her own yearning and options? What is stopping us from decision mak-ing and responsibility taking? What or who is a driver of our decisions?

Should the very essence (innate character) of a man be denied or suppressed, one falls ill, sometimes visi-bly, sometimes latently… This very essence is subtle and delicate, and it can be easily overpowered by a habit and cultural pressure… Though denied, the very essence lies beneath, constantly fighting for update. Each deviation (from our very essence), each crime against our nature is recorded in our unconsciousness and makes us despise ourselves.

A man can only act for himself or herself if he or she can accede to one’s own yearnings, own feelings, and own body. Failing to do so, he or she is then unable to make wishes, yearn for something, project himself or herself into the future, so initial will-power dies at birth.

The process of desire’s arising is comprehensive. It includes psychological, social, cultural, religious, and other influences. Yearning, for a healthy individual, is an integral part of values such as freedom, will, truth, and change. Our intention was to reveal a state when we are mindful of our yearnings, what are our inner-most desires, how to manifest them at individual or collective level. But, at the same time, we do not cling to them as if they were the only important in our life. They are just present, I live them and share them sen-sitively, I listen a lot, and I assist others on their way to their own yearning. This is the state we call free ef-forts or effortless being.

Being is given to us just as it is required from us. One is responsible for his or her being. Literally, his or her answer is required when asked: what you made of yourself? The one who asks is the judge, it is, actually, himself. And no one else gets us closer than ourselves alone.

Irvin D. Yalom, Abraham Maslow, Erich Fromm and the project’s creative team.