Happiness is not getting what you want, it's wanting what you have,

"Wants" create stress. Sometimes when we get what we want, we discover that we don't really enjoy having it. We find out that things we wanted really are not fulfilling and are actually "a drain to maintain." We also discover that getting what we want was not worth our selfish attitude. We see that wants took our focus off of serenity and on selfishness. The 12 step recovery text affectionately called The Big Book says, "Selfishness is the root of our problem." Another pitfall of wants is that negative "feel bad" messages usually result from our perception that we have not, will not, or did not get what we want. We all instinctively want things to go our way. But our wants often conflict with others' wants such that things often don't go our way. And when they do go our way, we find out that what we wanted was not what we wanted when we got them. From material wants (the biggest boat) to simple daily wants (avoiding a stop light), wants frustrate us. This frustration can lead to relapse. Far better to appreciate what we have and distinguish wants from needs.


To-do:

Today, I will say a mental "thank you' for three things and situations I have that I want.

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