Vachon Imagined

When a king becomes a slave, he is driven by his desires. They are all he can think about, all he returns to, all he imagines. His mind becomes singularly focused, and instead of leading his body, he is dragged by it.

Desires are not the problem. Goals, ambitions, dreams—these are wonderful things. Just last night, I reflected on my top five goals with my husband. Desire gives direction. It inspires movement. It calls us toward growth.

But when desire takes the throne, we do not become kings; we become slaves.

Slaves to ambition. Slaves to people. Slaves to beliefs. Slaves to outcomes. Slaves to the endless promise that fulfillment lies just beyond the next achievement, the next possession, the next victory.

A king has desires, but he is not owned by them. He can hold them without clinging to them. He can pursue them without becoming them. He can lose them without losing himself.

When desire is put in its proper place, it becomes a servant rather than a master. It becomes a compass instead of a chain.

And then something remarkable happens. You begin to travel farther than you ever imagined possible without ever leaving your room, without ever leaving your body. You discover that freedom was never found in getting what you wanted. It was found in no longer needing desire to tell you who you are.