So much food for thought in this thread already.
TB - that is quite a sad post; you bring to mind the saying: "I complained because I had no shoes, till I met a man who had no feet."
I'm complaining that my shoes hurt, and you tell me you have no feet.
The 'Want to/Have to' situation is always with us.
There is the transitory, and sometimes immediate 'Want to/Have to' situations. You
want a burger, you
have to eat a hot dog - because that is all there is - so you have to make do with a hot dog.
Then there is the Want to/Have to situation that stays with you - maybe till you fight to change your destiny; You
want to have a smoke - you
have to stop smoking. There is a choice here, albeit not as easy a one to make
or live with.
Then there is the Want to/Have to Situation that is impossible to change; You
want to have blue eyes - but you
have to live with green. You can't change that. But it's possible to change your mindset to
want green.
Which means then your Want to/Have to Situation is perfect - in fact perfect destiny.
What you want is what you have, and vice versa.
Finding out that what we have to do is also what we want to do is the pursuit of happiness substantialised.
In TB's case - for a parent, to even
think about the possibility of losing a child is horrifying. This is obviously a situation he does not want - and cannot change - and something he has to live with.
I see some other responses here, though, where I can actually see that you may be able to change your destiny, with a little planning, and some effort - you may be able to have what you want. Writing it out must have helped solidify those thoughts in your head. Now all you have to do is to focus on those wants - and how you go about making the choices that will help you achieve the destiny you want - instead of the one you have ( or are supposed to have

)
Today:
I
want to start a new painting - my usual medium being oils on canvas.
But:
I
have to go paint walls instead - using acrylics - because I
have to feed myself and my family. And I
have to meet many other expenses. Painting these walls for my client will help me meet to expenses. So I have to.
I guess I don't
want to be hungry or homeless.
So my personal 'hobby' want is thrown out for
wants that are hidden but are actually more important to my survival.
I find it funny that the two today - both my
want and
have are connected with 'painting'. What am I missing here?
