What You Want, What You Need

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want. A relationship, a better figure; a higher salary, a "cooler" job. There are many things in this world that we all desire; whether or not we can get them is up to the stars, I guess. Some may say, "be persistent, follow your dreams, and if you want something bad enough, you'll get it!" Others, like the author of the well known book "The Secret," assert that if you visualize the things you want most in life, they will come to you; it's like you're a magnet, seeing the things you want and subsequently 'attracting' those things towards you.

All of the above may be true. But what really counts, in my opinion, is what you currently have and moving toward a mindset where you realize you might just have all the things you need in life right at this moment. Most of us know the great Rolling Stones Tune; the lyrics, "You can't always get what you want/but if you try sometimes/you just might find/you get what you need..." say it all. Why fret and preoccupy your mind with the things you wish you had instead of being happy in the moment with everything you need all around you?

Perhaps some us us don't have what we need, or what we think we need; for me, I have a great job, a nice enough apartment, a life in New York City, the love of family and friends, music each day, fresh air in my lungs, many laughs, eyesight, the ability to experience joy, pain, fear, tears, and also that calming feeling that everything will be OK. Some of those are wants that I in fact have; others are what I believe to be needs (shelter, a job (read: income), love, good people around me) and thus, I cannot be sad even if I tried with that mindset. In time, the things I want will hopefully follow; I refuse to waste time all distraught in the interim waiting period.

Sure, it is hard sometimes when question marks flood your head, things remain unknown, unfinished, or unclear, and you see the things you want on the horizon temporarily out of reach. What you must remember is when you just sit and 'exist' for a moment, you'll realize there are many things now through which you can find joy; many things in your life that make it worth living right now. Again, some of your wants may come; some may not. But as Mick Jagger said, inevitably, somehow, you find exactly what you're looking for in this wonderful world.