Want and Need

Many years ago, when a friend's son was just learning to talk, he would always say "I need" when he wanted something. Having never heard such a small child say that, I initially interpreted his words as meaning that his desire for juice was just particularly urgent in that moment. Turned out, he said "need" all the time. It was just his way. And after some time with him, you realized you could say "no" to him just as easily as if he had said "I want."

Flash forward, and I am now spending a lot of time thinking about "need" and "want." You see, when you are looking for work, the "need" and the "want" don't always match up. You may want to work in a particular field or have a particular job title or have a workplace geographically close to home or hours that work perfectly with your schedule of other commitments (family, volunteer work, etc.). What you need, however, is a job that pays the bills, work that makes you feel competent, and training that gets you somewhere.

In the best of worlds, the "wants" and the "needs" overlap somewhere. But, if they don't, which is more important? While the "needs" tend to address more immediate issues, the "wants" can be the things that let us dream, and help us realize our dreams. So if we always go with the "need," do we keep ourselves from being able to soar?

The "want/need" question, I realize, is one with which I struggle every day. I have hope that more often than not, I will find the place where the two meet. After all, dreaming and soaring are great things, but you can't do too much of either on an empty stomach or without a place to rest your head.

So, maybe my friend's son was more right than he knew. Say what you need, and you might end up getting exactly what you want. And hold on to what you want, and you might end up with exactly what you need.