The Three Things

In terms of dreams/goals/desires there are only three variations:

1) Things You Want

2) Things You Don’t (Really) Want

3) Things You Think You Can’t Have

*  *  *

Just stating that’s there’s a mere trinity of “things-we-want” is likely to rub some the wrong way.

But it’s true.

Let’s take #1: Things You Want. This is a small number. Especially in contrast to #2.

Unfortunately, things that are really #1s, are mistakenly categorized as #2s and sometimes tragically slotted as #3s.

Sometimes, people allow family and social pressure and cues to mis-categorize things as #1s, when they’re really #2s.

*  *  *

Now, #2: Things You Don’t (Really) Want. These are things that we complain about, that drain us energy and joy and (if we continue to do them or keep them in our lives) rationalize to no end.

If we just told ourselves the Truth about these things we could release them or negotiate them out of our lives.

Of course, there are a great many things that are well and truly #2s. Knowing this is very empowering. We can better focus on what we want and transforming the things we think we can’t have, by increasing our understanding of #2s.

*  *  *

Finally #3: Things We Think We Can’t Have.

Amazingly enough, if a #3 is truly a #1, then there’s absolutely no reason we can’t have it in our lives.

We just think we can’t have it.

And because we (just) think we can’t have it, we easily change that – because as powerful as thoughts are, they are just thoughts and can be changed.

*  *  *

I want you to think about what’s in your life, specifically:

How clear are you on what your #1s are? How much time do you spend thinking and strategizing about your #1s?

What’s are you doing/keeping/maintaining that’s really a #2?

What do you know, deep down, is a #3? How can you make it a #1?

Similar Posts

  • It’s Up To You

    The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav’n of hell and a hell of a heav’n. – John Milton Are you making a “hell” of your “heaven?” What about making a “heaven” of your “hell?” Because both are based in thought, they are equally possible. Our lives, or at least…

  • And You Have SO Much Left

    Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts.  It’s what you do with what you have left. – Hubert Humphrey People discount themselves all the time. Unfortunately many focus on what’s gone wrong or what they don’t have or what seems out-of-reach. It’s the focus that causes the problem. We have…

  • What is Success?

    Success has a simple formula: do your best, and people may like it. – Sam Ewing Mr. Ewing offers an interesting formula. But could there be more? Or something different? Maybe: do your best, for the right people, in a way that matters to you and them and everyone will like it.  

  • You. Must. Start.

    You don’t have to be great to start. But you have to start to be great. – Zig Ziglar Zig’s down-home (often ‘aww-shucks’) words are f’ing genius. So often he can say in a sentence (and not a long one at that) what others take paragraphs or pages to say. His words above are your…

  • The Fool’s Game of Balance

    The idea of balance is prevalent for people today, Specifically, the meme of work/life balance. Many see this as a call to allocate one’s life in certain proportions. As if there is an ideal amount of time for each area that will “balance” the scales, and presumably, result in happiness and fulfillment at work and…