Friday, August 07, 2009

Wanting and Needing

As most of you already know, last week I shared my first meme, Peeling Away My Nine Layers.

One of the questions asked, was, “Goal you'd like to achieve?”

And my answer was, “To always know the difference between wanting and needing.”

Today I would like to share a little more about my feelings on the differences, and what wanting and needing has taught me when it comes to happiness.

First, let me say that my eyes are sometimes bigger than my needs.

What I often see as a need, is usually nothing more than a needless want.

Much too often in the past I idealized about what I believed would make me happier instead of enjoying what I had and only needed, right then and there.

Most of the things I thought I wanted came attached to a scenario in my head about how I believed that want would make me FEEL. And to be perfectly honest with you, nine times out of ten when I got what I wanted, the feeling was never what I thought it would be. And that’s not a negative thing, because if I had never wanted, I would have never discovered what it was that I really needed.

So, I believe there is great value in wanting.

Six years ago when I went through financial bankruptcy, was also when I began to learn about wanting and needing.

At the time I had nothing of any tangible value, and yet, it was also a time in my life that enabled me to notice how very little I needed to make me happy.

I saw things differently.

And although going through bankruptcy was one of the most stressful times in my life, it ended up being one hell of a great teacher.

Because it taught me to live simply with the basics.

It taught me to stop chasing my tail.

It taught me to enjoy and appreciate my life where it is today, because my life will always give me what I need without ever having to want it.

And yet….

I still want.

But there’s a difference now….

If by chance my wants don‘t ever manifest…I know there's a damn good reason.

I didn’t need it.

Have a faaabulous weekend everyone!