Do you really know what you want?

The only thing I ever wanted, since I was old enough to understand the difference between boys and girls, was to be a boy. And yes, I got it, eventually.

I know what I want. It is fairly simple relatively speaking, compared to what a lot of people “want” ultimately. I have put it off the past few years for a million reasons, money, work, friends, relationship. But next year I am going to get it. It is all I think about and for me that’s how I know that I need to do it. I am so excited.

Yes. A few times in my life, there have been moments where clear thoughts, deeply-felt emotions, and natural beauty in the outside world combined into some deeper groundswell. I want to write about that in a way that’s expressive and precise. There have been times when I’ve read something and had an “a-ha!” moment because the writer put a familiar thought into a new, clear, eloquent light. I want to do that for someone else, someday.

GQ, @Unbroken.

I’m not sure. There are quite a few things I am passionate about, but I have a hard time understanding that I’m the one who has to pursue them. I think ultimately, what I want is to write and help make schools a better place to be. I also want kids (someday) and dogs.

I think it might be easier to live your life if you resign yourself to doing what needs to be done – as opposed to what you want. Less interesting, but easier.

Really curios what it is @deni wants…

What I, you or anyone wants is, what you are prepared to sacrifice in order to obtain it.

To be honest, I want it ALL and I want it NOW!

I have what I want. No regrets.

I only want more than I’ll ever get.

It changes all the time, so I have trouble keeping track.

I already have everything I ever wanted, so I have to say that wanting is a lot less than it used to be.

All I ever wanted from life was to know what unconditional love feels like. I never felt that from my biological family. Once I finally learned to accept myself as I am and to believe that I am actually lovable, I found someone to share unconditional love with at 43 years old.

Now what I want is for my son to find his own happiness, and hopefully earlier in life than I did.

I thought I have everything that I want. Friends, job, personal life, but with the time passed by, it turned out I have an average job, my personal life revealed a lot of things that I had never thouпре about. So the only thing I remain real in my life is my friends.

I have a pretty good idea of what I want, both achievable and that which is not completely up to me.

Where many people fail or get hung up is in wanting specifics, when what is important and fulfills us is more general.

I really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig-ahh!

No, I don’t know. What I’ve observed is that there’s just a lurking sense of lack. It used to be that my mind would build some story around that sense of lack, pinning it on some objective that, according to the story, would make my life so much better. I don’t fall for that so much anymore. I now understand that the sense of lack is an artifact of not seeing things in their entirety. I now take it as my cue to open up my perspective, not to go cooking up a story about what I’m lacking.

II want a new drug
One that won’t make me sick
One that won’t make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick

I want a new drug
One that won’t hurt my head
One that won’t make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red

The mistake that many people make is believing that they have plenty of time to accomplish their dreams, but before they know it, they don’t.

As John Lennon said in the song ‘Beautiful Boy’:

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans…

The only thing I want is to return to the financial comfort I enjoyed for many years before this economy wiped me out, work, home, the whole enchilada, this past 3 years.
Otherwise I am happy with who I am. I am content in all things except my present financial circumstance.

@thorninmud Love your answer- I feel exactly the same

What I really want is to no longer be affected by PTSD. The triggers and anxiety has been really bad for the past few months… wish I could get that boxed up and put away permanently.
I’d also like to be as productive as I expect myself to be. I think that’s one of my challenges—I expect so much from myself and never measure up to what I think I should’ve done.
The underlying theme seems to be—I want to feel a sense of calm, satisfaction and centeredness.

The lyrics to This Song by Mary Chapin Carpenter pretty much sum it up for me.

This is a great question…it makes me ponder do I really know…and I believe the answer is no. For the most part I only want happiness, but what makes me happy. I deal with everyday issues, not always happy ones, a job I don’t like, the landlord from Hell, building a home (with a shady contractor) but on the flip side a great relationship, a family I love and a roof over my head. So, is what I want….true happiness ever achievable? Most of the time it is a tug of war trying to filter out the stress.

The one thing I really want is to have my mother back.that’s it. My driver’s license would be nice, but I’d rather have my mom alive again.

No. I have no idea what the hell I want, and it’s driving me insane.
But thanks for asking. I think that’s the first time I’ve formally admitted it to myself.

I want a dinosaur.

My father used to say, no more than half jokingly, “I just want a little piece of quiet.” At the time, I couldn’t understand why he wanted life to be so boring.

Now I do.

Peace and quiet (or, as we know it around here, P&Q) just might be close enough to bliss to count as the same thing, for all practical purposes.

To be comfortable, and Teen burgers combo’s at will.

Happiness to me is security, comfort & stability, I have those now for the most part.

I can’t make up my mind is it a dragon or a helicopter. If I had a dragon I could kill it and get half a kings kingdom although not a lot of dragons around now. So by default I want a helicopter something is better then nothing. talk about compromise.

Clarity. To be able to experience life beyond that white noise.

@downtide not an easy task. Congrats.
@deni much success in your quest. I am also curious but I won’t pry. Just gently nudge ;)
@Haleth beautiful words indeed thanks for sharing your thoughts. Epiphanies are such ephemeral things.
@longgone thank you. You may be right. They could in fact be the very same thing.
@graynnet that is a the test. But does that mean you really want it.
@ZEPHYRA lol as do I.
@snowberry what a positive thing to mean.
@YARNLADY at first I thought you werent making sense. But I see what you mean. You pursued what is most important to you and your achievements though they might not have included everything that you thought you might like leave contentment in their wake even as you find new things to look forward to?
@hearkat what beautiful simplicity. I hope your son also finds acceptance and love.
@angiebrown thank you for sharing. Disappointment is hard as is starting over. But life travels in circles. I hope you will return to place where you again have it all.
@zenvelo life does have a way of keeping us on our toes and throwing curveballs. You make a good point I must consider it further.
@ucme spice girls. Lol. I now have an ear worm.

@thorninmud I do prefer honesty though it is often disappointing. I am going to silver line it by saying I agree but if we stopped looking to fulfill and rediscover that void we would perhaps all be standing still. So searching and quests while filled with a quiet hope we see so much more then if we arrived through means of teleportation to that state.
@rojo I think conferring with chemists might be your best bet. Lol.
@OneBadApple true time does sail away. And life is always happening. But plans mist be made. Though not my strong suit. A balance maybe.
@Coloma I am sorry you lost. But being comfortable with ones self is a great achievement indeed.
@linguiphile i think those are very important pursuits of which the journey seems difficult. But the goal very worthwhile.
@Kardamom love the song. It cheered me up.
@oneSasyRN focusing on what we do like is a great point. Time will figure the rest out.
@GracieT I can’t imagine losing a parent. I am sorry about your misfortune.
@Aesthetic_Mess this was also an admission and recognition for me. I have known it just never fully acknowledged it.
@Symbeline you mean a live one? What a pet!!!
@Jeruba the value of peace and quiet is indeed great but only in the presence of the opposite as means to compare at least in my viewpoint.
@talljasperman lol. And what would make you comfortable?
@KNOWITALL I am envious.
@graynnet I would settle on a flinstone car. And really? You would kill a dragon? How cruel.
@Nimis Clarity… Clarity… Clarity..
[Hook:] You take away the pain and I thank you for that If I ever get the chance, bet I’m paying you back I’m a be waitin’ for that

Thanks for all the responses. Love the differing perspectives.

@Unbroken, it is indeed the presence of the opposite that makes me long for P&Q and understand why my father longed for it. I can only say I hope I live long enough to have a little.

@Unbroken The feeling of safety that one has when they are a child.