Want vs Desire
Kyetu Catalyst. A spark to ignite change!
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Want versus desire? What's the difference? It's subtle, but there is a difference.
And that's what I want to talk about in today's Kyetu Catalyst. Over time, we've come to appropriate the word “desire” for things that are lustful, or even sexualized. When you think about the origin of the word though, “desire” comes from the Latin "desiderare," which means related to stars or heavenly bodies. It's driven by a longing or yearning for something beyond what one currently possesses, often reaching towards aspirations or ideals. It means that you are wishing for something far and big and grandiose and bright and shining,… like the stars.
As opposed to the word “want”, which we use more commonly and loosely. The word "want" traces back to Old English "wanian," meaning "to diminish" or "to lack." Over time, it evolved to signify a lack or absence of something deemed necessary. This suggests a sense of deficiency or insufficiency, indicating a perceived need for something.
When you are wanting something, it means there's a hole you have to fill. There’s something that you don't have. So while it's a subtle difference, “wanting” something is definitely acknowledging that it's something that you don't have. A void you must fill. And the subtlety is quite negative. When you are wanting, you are starting at a deficit.
As opposed to a “desire”, which is something that you want to go grasp. A goal that you want to reach. A shining object in the future far out, or close in.
So, while "wanting" aims to fill a void or address a perceived need, "desire" is more about the pursuit of aspirations or the fulfillment of dreams, without necessarily starting from a place of lacking.
And so, today, we would like for you to grab your journals, and take a moment and think about what are your desires, as opposed to your wants? Because sometimes we have a tendency to think about all the things that we're missing. All the things we’re lacking. It's valuable to think about that as well. But in this instance, let's take a very hopeful, wishful, desirable moment.
Take your journals and write uninterrupted for a few minutes all the things that come to your mind, which are what you desire, as opposed to what’s missing in your life. Write these things out in simple words as opposed to complex sentences so you can move quickly and note your visceral responses. What are the things you deeply desire? Have you always desired to learn something new? A skill or a language? Perhaps to play an instrument or how to cook a certain type of cuisine? This is different than maybe wanting to upgrade your car.
When you've done that, take a step back. Look at what you've written, and see if you can cluster your words. Maybe take a highlighter and highlight all the words that have commonalities to them, or different colored pens and circle the words that you feel have commonalities.
And what do you see? Do you see a trend? Do you see that there's a certain theme or a handful of certain themes that come together? That's where you should focus your energy today. Or maybe there is no theme, and that’s OK too. Maybe you wrote 30 radically different words on the page. And if that’s the case, take this moment to decide which one of these things are you most gravitating towards? Or which one of these things have you been desiring for a long time and you want to focus on?
Then, take one bold action. That’s right, do one thing today to move the needle, to get you working towards that desire. It could be a phone call. It could be reorganizing time in your schedule to make space for learning possible. It could be blocking time to do some research. It's anything that will start the wheel turning. Begin the action that will ensue into momentum to make your desires become reality.
Thanks for joining us on today's Kyetu Catalyst. Please share our podcast with family, friends, and in your social networks. You just might be someone else’s spark to ignite change!
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