What we want

When I was a child, I wanted to be a soldier, a policeman or a firefighter. My concern was not the job itself, but how it made me feel. Desire is raw interest channeled in one direction.

As I grew, my desires changed. In high school, I did not know what I wanted to be. But the clock was ticking on my indecisiveness.

In college, I started in Creative Writing. Then, I changed to music as my primary course of study. Financial realities finally set in, and I ended up with a two-year degree in Information Systems.

There is what we want to be, and then we decide what we will be. Harsh realities emerge and the dream changes form. But it still comes down to desire: how bad do you want it?

Once you have the education, you need to get a job. There are only so many available, so the competition can be rough. And sometimes, you must settle for what is available until you can get what is desired.

I know what I want: to be a professional writer. With several works to my credit, I just need time and opportunity. It is no longer about what I want, but how I plan to get it.

Setting a course

There are many obstacles to achieving our dreams. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But reality is not so accommodating...

You cannot achieve anything without setting a goal. Then, you must take steps to reach it. This is where a great deal of mistakes are made, until finally the best path is found.

What you try first is likely to be the wrong way. But it is important to keep moving, and correct your course as you go along. To stop is to get nowhere.

Stubbornly following the path will not lead you to the destination. The genius is in determining how to progress despite the terrain. If it brings you closer to the goal, keep going.

We are often our own biggest obstacle. Pride will stumble into a dead end. Wisdom will realize the problem and take steps to overcome it.

Dreams are great motivators, but we must set a good course to be successful. Even then, things will get in our way. In the end, there is no substitute for sheer determination.

Two become one

Love is a thing of many splendors. But how quickly it turns to hate. You will do anything for that which you love, and anything to that which you despise.

Compassion and love are not the same. The former cares expecting nothing in return. The latter is always expecting something.

That is why love is transitory: by its nature it is conditional. If the one does not get what they want, the relationship can end. All that seemed so precious can be reduced to bitter memories.

I have seen love in its best form. Years could not separate the two, nor did death fully break the bond they shared. What makes it work is when the two become one.

Likewise, I have seen love at its worst. People have killed for it, and destroyed themselves for its lack. Again, the lack of commitment is usually the culprit.

Those who put themselves aside can love indefinitely. A lifetime is not long enough for them to share. They are a shining example of two individuals together becoming more than the sum of their parts.

Making things better

There are things we must nurture and protect. They make us better people. And the world is a better place for it.

Honesty is something to be encouraged. We cannot improve what we refuse to see. Many are highly practiced in the art of self-deception.

Appreciation is also important. Recognize a person's strengths, and not just their weaknesses. Be the one who builds up instead of tearing down.

Consideration goes along with this. Be mindful of others. Your actions affect them, so make sure what you do is actually for the best.

Compassion is to be highly prized. Those who care for others should never find themselves forsaken. They cannot solve the world's problems, but they can be part of the solution.

Treat others the way you wish to be treated. It is an old saying, but the longevity is due to the soundness. A caring person makes everything better just by being who they are.