There is such incredible power in knowing what you want. But it can take a lot of time and energy to sort out what that is, exactly.
This is practical, of course. Having a specific goal is much easier to achieve than aiming for a target that keeps changing.
But I mean this in a visceral way as well. In my experience, there is usually one small moment of infinite clarity and desire after days, months, or even years of mucking through my feelings and uncertainties and confusion about something. And this sense of intense knowing usually only lasts for a minute or two before I start thinking about something else and get distracted. But there’s no strain, no calculations, no five-year plan. It’s just that the clouds break for a breath and the sun shines bright on my desire. And when I can finally say, “Yes, that. That is what I want,” then I can stop searching for it. I know its size and shape, how it feels. And my lack of having this thing I desire becomes more bearable somehow now that I’ve consciously claimed it.
And in this sweet spot between knowing with great clarity (though not always with great confidence) what I want and understanding that I’m still doing okay without it, that’s where some kind of magnetic magic can happen.
So as painful and frustrating as it can be, this whole life is full of experiences, situations, and struggles that guide us towards what we want in this life.
They’re showing us the way.