I want the world

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The tension of wanting

We all have wants.

A kind of internal wish list — things that, if time, finances and circumstances aligned, we’d quite like to have.

We’re encouraged to articulate them.
To chase them.
To, dare I say it, manifest them into existence.

I’ve written mine down from time to time.

And yet, whenever I say the words, they feel slightly… off.

A bit dirty, even.

They bring to mind Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory:

“I want the world. I want the whole world.”

There’s something about it that feels demanding.
A bit entitled.

Maybe it’s rooted in childhood.

“I wants don’t get.”

A very British way of training politeness.

Don’t ask for too much.
Don’t be greedy.

And yet this sits slightly at odds with the modern message —
be clear about what you want, set goals, have a vision, go after it.

So I’ve started to think about it a little differently.

Instead of focusing on what I want, I’m trying to pay attention to what I feel inspired towards.

It feels like a softer pull.

Something that suggests direction, without demanding outcome.

A bit more than a wish or hope.

Something that moves you forward,
but isn’t so tightly held that if it doesn’t happen, you feel disappointed.

Not like a want.

More like a leaning.