There are those who want to change. And there are those who actually change.
There are those who want to embrace life. And there are those who actually embrace it.
There are those who want to love fully. And there are those who actually love fully.
There are those who want to listen to their soul. And there are those who actually listen to their soul.
There are those who want it. And there are those who actually do it.
Wanting it means that you never actually have it. Wanting it means that you can feel badly about yourself and your life because you will never actually be it or do it or have it or embody it. Wanting it means that you are always one step removed from it.
But there is just one small shift between wanting it and actually having it. Just one small decision. One small choice. It’s that moment when something inside of you steps through to the other side of wanting and ends up right inside of having.
You want a new job.
But talking about wanting it never actually gets you closer to having it, right?
You have to DO something about it. Take action. Make a choice. Take a step forward. Take responsibility. All of these things.
You have to. Or you will always be just on the other side of IT (whatever that may be for you).
You want to be happy.
But talking about wanting it never actually gets you any closer to happiness, right?
You have to make a conscious decision to focus on gratitude and what is working rather than negativity and what isn’t. You have to take steps toward filling your life with friends who will support you and love you. You have to look deep within your soul and figure out what is making you unhappy in the first place. And then take steps to align your external life with your internal yearnings. You have to take action if you want to feel happier.
You want to feel love.
But talking about wanting it never actually gets you any closer feeling love, right?
You have to open your heart. You have to tear down your walls. You have to let others in. You have to allow yourself to love another. You have to figure out why you closed off to it in the first place and begin to heal from this experience. You have to be willing to embrace love in order to bring it to you.
Wanting something is the first step. It helps you become aware of your desires and your soul’s urgings.
But it’s only the first step. So many of us stay here for most of our lives. Feeling powerless and small.
It’s only when we take action that we begin to truly feel how powerful we are. How amazing we are. How alive we are!
And that’s how I wish for each of us to feel. All of the time.
Let’s be brave enough to turn our wants into our haves.
Yes. Let’s do that.
Hugs,
Hi Jodi,
This is so true. For most of my life I was a ‘wanter’. The sad thing is that I didn’t even realize it. I thought I was a doer, but that applied only to safe, easily doable things. A few years ago I changed. I don’t know why but I started taking risks and trying new things. All I have to say to all of the wanters out there is you don’t know what you’re missing. Start doing now!
Dan @ ZenPresence
Hi Dan!
Thanks for your inspiring comment. It’s so true that leaping and dreaming are a huge part of having rather than wanting. Stretching out of our comfort zone is an essential ingredient. I’m so glad you have made life changes that put you in the Doing category rather than the Wanting! 🙂
Straight and to the point! Thanks for this 🙂
You’re so welcome! So glad you’re here! 🙂
Then there’s the part where we need to appreciate what we already have! Practicing gratitude for all of it….
Great point, Loran, and so true! Gratitude is an essential part of life – being grateful for what we currently have and also grateful for what we are leaping toward. 🙂
Hi Jodi,
This morning’s client was a classic case in point. He wanted to do so much yet hadn’t made a start. We have commenced a process of turning “I want…” into “I will…”
be good to yourself
David
Hi David!
Great point – we have to take the required steps forward to take us from wanting to having. 🙂
So true Jodi. I find myself saying all the time you can’t want and have something at the same time. 🙂
Love Elle
xoxo
Hi Elle! Oh that’s a good one – I’ll have to borrow that from you. What a great saying that’s so true! XO
You know, I found this post incredibly enlightening, given the women’s retreat I just returned from. We talked about our wants as being empty and hollow when we place them outside ourselves.
Meaning, wanting or needing something that exists outside ourselves triggers us to believe we are somehow empty without it. This leads to us creating a depleting energy of neediness – which in turn creates this clingy sensation where we feel we have to attach ourselves to another person, situation or event in order to fulfill our want or need.
When we come back to our center and breathe for a moment, we can take the opportunity to realize the underlying thing we desire for our lives (we call them needs and wants) are really just symbols for an underlying expression of our spirit. The need for acceptance or a desire to be heard, for example can lead to wanting or needing attention from others. We may seek to fulfill this want or need through pursuing fame or money (just as an example).
I often ask myself: what would free me to express myself more authentically in this moment?
When we come to the realization all our needs and wants are fulfilled from within ourselves (and we all share the same universal wants and needs), we feel this beautiful connection to all life. This is one of the founding principles behind NonViolent (Compassionate) communication.
I believe turning our wants (needs) into our haves is a perfect illustration of this. Thank you for this article. Namaste.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I’m so glad that this article was helpful for you. And I completely agree that external wanting can leave us feeling empty inside. It’s when the urge comes from within (and we act on it) that our transformation takes place. I also love what you said about wanting to express yourself authentically in each moment – that’s truly what it’s all about! Hugs!