| I was sitting on my deck on a Sunday afternoon in
the early 90’s reading the book DO IT!, when I discovered
a short chapter called Needs vs. Wants. The premise was that needs
are life necessities like food, shelter, clothing, air, water and
protection. Everything else is a want. The rule of thumb: if you
can live without it for even a short period of time: it’s
a want.
The authors went on to say that our body goes into Red Alert when
we say we NEED something. Suddenly we start using all our energy
and resources to get that need met. If we focus on getting all these
‘needs’ met, we are anxious and feel “needy.”
By embracing the fact that all our basic needs are already met,
we can look out on our lives and make a choice about what we WANT.
The author John-Roger says “The simple statement, “I
want…,” committed to and acted upon, can move mountains.”
When I realized that all my needs were met, in fact, supplied to
me in abundance, I was suddenly filled with this amazing feeling
of gratitude and fulfillment. It was an awesome experience.
I jumped up, ran upstairs and woke my napping husband with, “Steve,
wake up. I don’t need you any more!” I continued, “I
want you in my life, but I don’t need you anymore.”
He looked up at me and said, “Thank God.”
It was a revolutionary moment, in our marriage and in my life.
It is not that I don’t ever feel ‘needy’; it’s
just that now I know when I feel that way, it just isn’t the
truth!
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