I want to share something very special with you all today…and it has to do with wants and needs.
Doing some studying over the weekend that mostly revolved around finances and financial prosperity, I’d like to stress something I’ve mentioned in previous episodic musings, but probably never touched on or explained with the angle I’m about to give now.
Read carefully as I really want everyone to understand this – it’ll help significantly in clearing up some “fuzzy” logic that’s got most people thinking about money all wrong. Let’s get started…
Wants vs. Needs…
First off – in a nutshell, if someone asked you to draw the defining line between wants and needs, how would you start? What would you define as wants? Needs? It’s here many people are taught that wants and needs are complete, separate things – and here where some wires get crossed.
So when you think wants, you may think: boat, car, fancy house, new clothing, etc…
and when you think needs you may think: food, water, money, place to stay, job, clothes, etc…
A few of the examples above run parallel to each other (clothing, accommodation) – but often are split into two different categories.
Usually, the logic goes like this:
Having a place to stay is normal – needed.
…but desiring a nicer place to stay is a want – not needed.
Having clothing to walk around in is a need, most definitely.
…but looking at new clothing and desiring to buy them is a want. Not needed.
Let’s clarify one thing: No matter what, shelter (no matter how nice), clothing (no matter how new), and cars (no matter how recent), are all NEEDS. You cannot classify them as wants.
Saying they’re a want is like saying they’re OPTIONAL.
Another thing – wants and desires are different. This’ll be explained in tomorrow’s Make it Mondays post over at Rego’s Life official site.
Back to what we were talking about though…
There are four essential needs we as humans have in life – basic/physical, everyday, lifetime, and spiritual.
Food is a need – it doesn’t matter if you eat it at a restaurant, or at home. If the body is hungry, it NEEDS to eat.
Shelter is a need – it doesn’t matter if it’s a penthouse or a trailer. Humans are not animals; a roof over your head is not a luxury.
Clothing is a need – it doesn’t matter if it’s 100% silk or 100% polyester, to preserve your dignity and to keep warm, the clothes on your back are essential.
Transportation is a need – rant all you want about global warming, CO2 emissions, etc, etc…whether you use public transport or you have your own vehicle, getting to and from a destination to get something accomplished is a NEED.
Lastly and most importantly…taking the time out to do what makes you happy, is a NEED. It doesn’t matter if it’s reading a comic strip or travelling the world; doing a job you love or quitting your job to start a business; hanging out with friends or engaging in a sport; working out or writing poetry…
…whatever makes you happy, doing it is a NEED…not a want. It’s the most important need – a spiritual need. This is the most important thing so you can feel at peace with yourself, happy with yourself, FIRST – before anyone else.
Wants? Wants are simple. Leisure spending is a want – spending is a want in general…and it’s completely separate from putting money towards your needs.
Seeing something you like on display, jewelry, a new wallet, a new purse, that new watch you’ve been figuratively dying to get – those are wants.
Checking out that new lounge bar, going to see that new movie, playing pool with friends – all wants.
Now the defining moment – the most important thing you need to know – something religion discourages, society says is hedonistic, and your grandma may say isn’t true:
Wanting is not a bad thing.
Needing is not just what you’ve been taught it is.
…and money? No matter how your try and analyze it, is absolutely CRITICAL, and was given the ability to be manifested from pure “imagination” to physical reality, in order to allow you to achieve both needs AND wants.
Like all things, moderation is key – balance is key. You have to make sure to balance all aspects of your life to live a fulfilling one.
Wanna know where I’m going with this? Stay tuned for and be sure to check out tomorrow’s Make it Mondays post over at regoslife.eu, the official Rego’s Life website. To all of you that are already subscribed to my (this) personal blog – do yourself a favor and stay in the know with updates over at the official site, too.
Hope everyone’s having an awesome Sunday.
As always…
Stay awesome.
– Rego
Musings Episode 50: Wants vs. Needs… is a post from and appeared first on Rego’s Life
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