The subtle difference between ‘What you want’ & ‘What you really want’

What’s the one thing that’s common in all of us? It’s the one universal truth that we all have ‘wants’, certain desires that we’re trying to fulfill.

You & I might not want the same things from life, but the way our wants & desires influences us is the same.

Now, there are things we want and then there are things we really want. Though the difference between the two is very subtle, it holds a lot of meaning in our lives.

Subtle things have a way of being. I call it the subtlety of subtle things, it might not look like much on the surface but it can really be so powerful that it can change our lives.

What is this subtle life changing difference between what we want & what we really want. Let me explain…

The things you want…

What we want are the things we think we want. We have assumptions or images impressed upon our minds about these things, that we probably are obsessing about.

Maybe it’s the one thing you saw your friend having in life, & you started wishing & wanting the same thing without even thinking why!

If you’re like any other average social media user, & someone who has their friends on social media (basically all of us), I bet your social media feeds are full of seemingly happy friends who’ve figured it all out.

You see pictures where your friends have achieved what they wanted. Maybe it’s a great job, a desirable partner, an awesome vacation or anything else.

We have all started desiring things in this way. There’s nothing wrong in it but I think sometimes this can lead us astray.

Sometimes when we finally get what we wanted (or we thought we wanted), we get this strange empty feeling & we wonder why this thing is not making me feel the joy I hoped for.

You start feeling confused & lost, you must have had this feeling!

Why does the confused feeling come after you get the things you wanted? Could it be that those things aren’t really what you truly wanted but you assumed you did?

The subtle difference

How do you know the difference between the things you want (or you think you want) & the things you really truly want?

The things that we want are the things which fail to make us truly happy, when we get hold of them. On the contrary, getting the things we want can make us feel very miserable.

The empty feeling in your gut & the unbearable restlessness are the hints to that.

The things you really want

If the things we want aren’t the things we want, then what are the things we really want? The things we really want are the things we REALLY WANT (but obvious), this bit is self explanatory.

The things we really want are all about YOU! Yes, you and not your friend, colleague, acquaintance or what your parents or other people including your boyfriends or girlfriends have been saying.

Maybe it’s the thing which you sometimes think about when you’re sitting by yourself. It’s the one thing which brings an instant smile & a positive feeling along with it.

I call these positive feelings the butterfly feelings. These are the ones that make you feel so light & free, that you could fly; in your thoughts of course!

To realize what are the things we really want will usually take some work, some soul searching. The things worth having always take some work, otherwise you wouldn’t give them the value they deserve.

But once you realize the things you really want, it will change the direction of your life. And the day you actually get what you really want, will be the day you experience pure joy & bliss.

So, next time you think about that one thing you’ve been desiring for so long, stop & think! Think about this: is it the thing you want or is it the thing you really want!

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Thank you so much for reading! 🌷

Please do share your thoughts on this blogpost & feel free to share about the things you (really) want. Also, do you have any idea how many times I’ve used the word things in this post?

Answer: a lot 😃