People want what they cannot have because this is built into their nature. Were this not so, not much progress in this world would be made. Therefore, up to a point, this at least good unless in that it motivates them to use what they have more productively. This works in many ways, some of these ways are good and some are not so good. This is a human trait known to all and were any of us totally without wants of any kind we would cease to be functionally alive. We would vegetate.

What separates this and keeps it totally from being bad, is the quality of the want that we cannot have. In time and as we age most of us will outgrow this and instead will learn to want what we have. These are further categorized by age, gender, emotional makeup, geography, and belief, among many other factors. When we are born our wants are few and those are food and warmth and a warm bosom to snuggle up to while we dream on and frolic with the angels. (I am not sure this happens but it sounds reasonable!)

As we age our wants increase and as parents well know curiosity added to wanting has no bounds. Toddlers easily tire of what they have and seek the unknown. This continues throughout life and sometimes a few lucky people stumble on the opposing view: if we cannot have what we want, then we will want what we have.

We are happier when this discovery happens earlier in life and if it does it is the forerunner of good economics. It too, alas (!) has it downside. Sometimes we so prize our possessions we accumulate too many of them. But that’s another story to be assorted by our children after our passing.

Boys and girls have different wants and often these take the form of playmates. Friendships come and go as do life partners. Maybe if more thought is given to our wants and these are considered more carefully, we would go through life slower and happier. Maybe if we carefully distinguish between things and people we would have less trouble in life. We can not own people, but we can own things.

Emotions play a big role in our wants and their unavailability. Into this are our heredity and our potential for this or that. Some of us are less endowed than others and rather than searching for what make us who we are, we want what is not ours. This stirs up envy. It creates a situation of square pegs trying to fit themselves into round holes, or the other way around. As an example, if you admire music and cannot sing or play the piano, but write well, then write about music; you long to play football but are a weakling with a well modulated voice, then become a sportscaster. Compensating is a good way of coping with not having what we want.

In different parts of the country wants differ according to the prevailing life styles. If land is at a premium and your neighbor seems to have more than he needs, this can create border line conflicts often resulting in out and out warfare. This is also true of culture. Maybe you want more of what you believe to be yours and when you see others seemingly trespassing, this can be problematic. Yet, reason alone, when this becomes the norm, clearly dictates that who is now in possession of the property is clearly its owner.

Going back in time and claiming what once belonged to one’s ancestors is never a right thing to do. Now is now and is to be lived accordingly. History is only for telling us how it once was, never how it is. Belief in our own inheritance and taking life by the horns based on where we are now and not where we want to be is a good starting point.

In time we will learn how to balance our desires and our wants that we cannot have with those that we have. Belief in ourselves and in our God-given right to be who we are helps here. Is it not written somewhere that first believe in the goodness of the Lord and then all things will be given unto you? Of course it is up to you to accept them.