Wants vs. Needs

Have you confused your wants with your needs? I think it’s something that a lot of people do. I’m sure that at some point, everyone in the world is guilty of that. It would fit for something like that to happen when you are young and then you grow out of it and into a responsible kind of adult.

But, that doesn’t always happen. I see people that come to believe that their WANTS are in truth their NEEDS. This ultimately causes a huge problem for life. Especially as some needs get shuffled around for the new needs that come around.

There are people that spend grocery money on lottery tickets or alcohol or shoes, etc. They mistakenly believe that these transient wants are in truth, needs. We have cases where children are being neglected and families broken apart by this delusion. Sadly, I think that there are lots of people that suffer from this.

But…do you think they realize what they are doing? I’m betting that they don’t. I mean, what kind of person would willingly replace their families NEEDS with their own personal WANTS?

So…couldn’t we all be in danger of having wants for needs? Is that a possibility in even the best of hearts? Again, I’m betting that yes, it is possible. But those that know keep an ever watchful eye on what they call needs.

It’s a matter of asking yourself, every time you act, “Am I doing this to fulfill my want, or my need?”

So, let’s go through all the things that you have listed in your life as needs. C’mon…I know you have a list. :-)

Look at the reasons why you have something listed as a need and try to see if it REALLY is something that you need for life, either for you, your friends, or your family.

There are, of course, easy ones. If you play the lottery (I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it!) then you need to make certain HOW you are playing it. Are you spending money that is NEEDED elsewhere or have you simply set aside a little bit in your budget for it? You DO have a budget, right? :-) OK…that’s a whole ‘nother post.

If you can look at what you consider as needs in a logical and realistic way, then you CAN decide, all on your own, whether or not you’re under confusion. If you have a family, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. After all…”Two eyes are better than one.”

So, we’ve slimmed down the needs list and gotten everything squared away. Right? But, we still have all these wants left over. And some of them are REALLY big wants. What about them? This is where a beautiful blessing comes into play…patience. :-)

I’ll wait for the groaning to stop…life isn’t about immediate gratification. In fact, some of the WORST things in life happen immediately. In order to keep your house in order, you MUST learn that some things just have to wait.

There is a reason why consumer debt is at an all time high and the average person has $6-10K worth of credit card debt.

Patience is a virtue that brings peace and happiness to those that follow in its ways.

Come, sit with me and let’s just wait for a bit. Your WANTS will still be there in the morning.