Not knowing what you want ensures you’ll never find it. Sometimes you will pick something just to stop not knowing. There are all kinds of opportunities and objects surrounding us. How do you know what to choose? The other side is when you pick something there always seems to be something missing. You may have even decided what you just acquired isn’t it and you send it back only to discover it is something you want but there is something more but you don’t know what it is. The first step in finding what you want is to know what all your choices are. It is not an infinite list.

I have identified fifteen different ‘things’ or separate areas all of us want. Until I looked at this list I didn’t have a way to determine what was missing. I just knew something was. This list is open for additions and improvements. I will improve or add to each category too. This list is not in any particular order because if anything is missing the entire list is incomplete. Do you have a feeling that something is missing? Should you trust your feelings? Go with your gut works for me.
As I have gotten older “feeling better” is a larger part of the conversation. Most people I know would like to feel better and many spend a lot of energy and money having it happen. The healthcare, wellness, and fitness industries are about feeling better. Related to being healthier is living longer, especially if you can have all fifteen of these!
Another easy one is the amount of time we spend on relationships, love, experiencing a connection. Most of us want more or see where there is room for improvement in this area. If you have ever lost your temper, said something you wish you could take back, or have been disappointed in your behavior, you too would like to behave better. We do settle into habits that define us, as we grow older. The longer we have used the ‘habit’ to define us the harder it is to change.
While being smarter may be out of reach, all of us would like to make better decisions. We have all experienced moments of clarity, clear thinking that if we had more of those moments it would help in all the other areas.
Ok, there are aisles of books on what it takes to be happy. There is always more happiness to have too. No one I know will say no to more happiness! However, happiness is the path, not the destination or direction.

A second cousin to happiness is inner peace; a sense of security that all will be well is on the list. Everything will turn out all right in the end. If it isn’t all right now, you have not gotten to the end.
More money is on my list and the time to enjoy spending it is part of the requirement. My ultimate goal is to produce enough residual and passive incomes that the right side of the menu is no longer a consideration.
Having a ‘labor of love’ makes earning the money more than worth the time.
I want all my challenges to be Goldilocks ones. Not so easy are boring and not so hard they keep me frustrated but that group of challenges that are just right! I have found “just right” moves from day to day, especially when I haven’t been paying attention, or have settled into a habit that does not include growth or opportunity. Living at the edge of the comfort zone with an intention to expand the zone means to move along the line every day.
I want to understand people better. I am sure much of what passes as indifference is really an area where understanding has become too difficult or painful. I suspect the first person to figure out is myself. I have discovered birds of a feather enjoy being together.
I want to be understood too. Don’t you? Of course, I’d like it to happen easily, with as few words as possible and as few explanations, as necessary and as long as we are building this list I’ll ask for all of it, a mutual ‘grok’ and it seems humans tend to go with their first impression in seconds.

Another aisle of books is being more persuasive. Sometimes I think if I could just have this one all the others would fall into line. Wouldn’t you like to know how to get everything you want using persuasion?! Some would have us believe we need to learn how to influence and it is different than persuasion yet I’m not sure either way isn’t able to manipulate a prescribed outcome. If ‘NO’ isn’t one of the choices…
Everyone I know loves having made a difference. We remember when we have and when we have not. A single word or a timely action has us come to the rescue. Don’t you want to know you make a difference? AND, YOU do, by the way, just being who you are.
Many people want a spiritual connection, some deny it’s possible, but if you have been touched by the Universe or you have met Infinity you want more!
The ‘way’ to get or have what you want is a life lived, moment to moment. Taking the Faustian Bargain doesn’t end well. The preferred path is to want what you got, gratitude is the attitude, and everything will arrive once you stop doubting, and the gestation period is complete.
Resist the tendency to collapse a few of these into each other. Each one is a work in progress in my world. Once I had the list wondering what was missing isn’t quite so loud. Did I miss something?
I love the one about Goldilocks challenges!
How about outer peace? In your home, your community, the world?
Scott. I can’t do much about anything except me. If I can handle me perhaps the ‘outer peace’ will handle itself too.
I think you’ve got it covered – except it isn’t about me it’s about us and that is love
It’s all about retraining the brain when it comes to not just developing good new habits but sticking to it all!
Books to find happiness may show the way, but it is up to you to find it.
The eternal question eh…what do I want?
To have the capacity, capability and ability to do…
I am currently getting ready to leave the Army and I have a bunch of things that I wish I would have done. Not taking a school, or not going out of my way to build my education more than I.
But I think now looking back, my life is pretty good right now and I wouldn’t want to change the journey that I have taken so far.
That’s what I want. Something I need to accomplish several of these is feedback. I may not want it all the time, but I should want it. It keeps me on my toes.
I think you have touched on pretty much everything. Of course, I think depending on your own life experiences, some things may be more important to you on this list than others. As a cancer survivor, I can say that if you don’t have the health piece, nothing else really matters. So, to me, that would be number one. Interesting blog. Thanks for the read. 🙂
Very insightful. I’m bookmarking this.
Also key is recognizing these gifts when they arrive. Sometimes it is not a easy and hey are not so obvious. So…… above all, gratitude
Seems to be a pretty good list..now how about how to get those things in 3 easy steps…
Mark,
Step one is knowing what you want. Then follow the ‘bread crumbs’ and the will show up.
I agree with Nicole! Health is vital to the enjoyment of the “things” we desire. As for me, my family and relationships brings me the most happiness. Thanks Michael!
A sense of fulfilment (UK spelling ;-)) is important to me – Ian
Health, Wealth and Happiness, cliche as it may sound is enough for me.
Very interesting article, thanks
NIce list. Thanks for sharing Michael
I like your blog, very smart article! Makes me think a lot … about what I really want !
Thanks for sharing
I want to embrace total forgiveness (of self and others; without exception), Belief in one’s self (as in always following intuition and not second guessing), Continually questioning everything that allows us to learn.
A great compilation…. I’m sure most of the people on the world desire perfection (or the best) in all those areas you mentioned above. However, being happy with whatever you have and working hard to improve yourself each day should rule out some of the areas of concern you mentioned above. But, the paradox is human beings are demanding and thus, their wants never end.
very inspirational and lots to think about