What Do You Want to Want?

By Steve Gwisdalla

Hello Tribe of Up! Here in this tribe, we advocate for more joy and help spread kindness and respect wherever and whenever we can. Today, I want to offer a brief think on wants. There are many things I want. There are even a few things I want to want. Let me give an example.

I want to want to like Brussel sprouts. I don’t want to like them. I want to want to. Does that make sense? I want to want to not get angry when driver pulls in front of me and goes 15mph below the speed limit. I really want to want that. What about you? I want to want to not hate turning on the news each day.

There is a difference between wanting something and wanting to want something. Wanting means you are a lot closer to it than wanting to want it. Some may argue ‘semantics’ but I disagree. You see, the things that trouble me most in this world I try extremely hard to ignore. For my money, 80% of this world is wonderful, so I focus on the eighty. I just leave the twenty that is ugly alone. I do not know if that is the right attitude or not, but I would rather look at a beautiful sunrise than the traffic I am stuck in. One makes me feel better. The other worse. I would rather surround myself with lessor known people who are up, than family who is negative. I want good things for everyone. I want to want to think everyone deserves goodness. You see the difference? I do not believe everyone does. I don’t even want to think about it. I want to want to. It is the duty of every good person to be good for themselves first. We cannot spread good if we are quietly miserable. We must find those things and surround ourselves with those people who bring that out in us. Then and only then can we spread it within our other tribes and communities. I want that very much!

I want everyone to know peace and happiness. Some will have to be dragged kicking and screaming, but I still want to want to help them too! I choose up. I choose joy and advocating for it. Don’t let the noise of this world deafen you to the good that is still out there. Want to make a change. Want it for your life first. Then we can help others. I want that very much too!

Steve is a Dexter resident and the Owner, Chief Up Officer, Vice President of Positive Tribe Development and All-Around Happy Dude at Better Place Consulting, a success and career coaching firm. Reach out at [email protected].