Day 47; Knowing What to Want

Knowing What to Want

I believe that we can have whatever we desire but the trick to life is in knowing what to want. If you put your heart and mind to something and are willing to work for it, then you can have it.

When I was a kid I heard my pastor tell a story about two women in the mental hospital where he volunteered.

There was a woman there who cried for a man named Johnny. “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.” She cried out night and day. Down the hall another woman cried for a man of the same name; Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, she cried.” He asked the first woman about her Johnny and why she cried for him. The woman told him that she longed for Johnny. She wanted and needed him badly, so much so, that the desire drove her mad.

He went to the second woman and was amazed to learn that the Johnny she cried about was the same man. He wondered what Johnny had or did that could make these women cry out for him. He asked the woman why she wanted Johnny and she stopped crying and said, “I’m not crying because I want Johnny, I’m crying because I had Johnny.”

Even as a kid I understood the humor in this; longing for something can drive you mad, but so can getting it.

Whether it’s love of a man or a new job you really have to know what to want and you need to want what’s good for you.

I love it when I have choices in anything. When I get to choose where to go or what to do, I feel abundant and rich with life but sometimes choices can get us into trouble. Having too much to choose from often leads to taking some of everything and that’s never good.

Yesterday, I came home tired from a long trip, but my day was not over. My daughter had a night class, and I needed to pick her up. I was exhausted and pass my bedtime but I went to get her laughing and talking to myself. I thought about how amazing it was that the little 3 moth old baby that came to me suddenly 19 years ago had suddenly grown up. When I got to the campus I was laughing and smiling. Fatima thought I was loopy from the day’s travel, so she apologized for having taken a night class.

I told her that I had a choice; I could be tired from a good day or tired from a bad one. I could be picking her up from a college campus or visiting her in a prison. She laughed and asked if there was anything in between.

When I got back home, I was rewarded with lots of wonderful email from people who are dedicated to reading daily and becoming their best self.

One sister friend wrote that she had been sharing the post with her collogues at work. Pat is a nurse and said that they were all grateful for the inspiration.

She wrote that she had shared the posts with the hospital chaplain who then gave her an exercise to share with me.

This exercise is simple and powerful and it helps us to see how to choose and what to choose.

“What if you woke up today and you had nothing except the things you were grateful for yesterday?

That’s it. When you show gratitude or fail to do so, you are choosing .

Thank you Pat and hospital Chaplain and thank you readers for choosing to join me on this amazing journey.

Live the day through this simple exercise

Be you, Be well, Be Better

Bertice Berry, PhD.

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