Wanting is Better Then Having

One of my very favorite people on the face of the earth once said to me "Violet. Wanting is so much better then having." I fully disagreed at the moment, but for whatever reason, could not get those words out of my head for weeks. I mean, it was applicable to so many aspects of my life. Eventually, I conceded and agreed. Wanting is better then having.

It is especially funny to me to think back over the years to all the things I think I wanted, or even the things I really did want. Sure enough, the drive, the anticipation, the yearning, the waiting, was the best part. Different boys I had feelings for, "dream" jobs, a dog, a house, cookies, etc.! Once I had them I instantly took them for granted and wanted more. I feel like I'm always in a constant state of wanting something. I'm embarrassed that I could easily rattle off 50 things that I think I NEED right now, things I want that I perceive will make my life "better."

I'm not going to bore you with sunshine and rainbows about how all my basic needs are met, blah, blah, blah and I just need to be happy with what I have. Because, lets face it, its human nature (maybe cultural...) to always be wanting. What I want (heh) to know is; Is this going to be the best part of my journey? The quest to reach a place I have wanted to be for so long? When I get there, am I going to take it for granted and immediately begin wanting something else? Probably.

One thing I have noticed is the importance of separating the healthy wants from the fleeting wants. Healthy wants stick around for awhile and are usually items that a person views have great importance, (for me, things like: a college degree, a job, a dog, etc.), and I changed life habits in order to obtain these wants. Confidence, fulfillment, and intelligence are by-products of obtaining a healthy want. Fleeting wants, (for me, things like: designer jeans, cupcakes, straight hair, etc.) go completely unnoticed once obtained. No real effort is made to achieve these things, perhaps shelling out money, and nothing is gained, except thirst for more things.

Wanting is not a bad thing. Failing to recognize that the time spent wanting, and the sacrifices made for the want is a bad thing. Life, after all, is time spent wanting.