Wants vs Needs

I was first introduced to the business world 15 years ago and I have not distanced my self from it ever since. With all these years of experience, the same issue continues to arise constantly. Wants vs Needs!

The needs in our lives are the essentials, the basics of life that we simply cannot live without. Where on the other hand, the wants are composed of possessions, experiences and/or services that are not necessary for survival, but stimulate us on a mental level.
Let me introduce to you some examples:

What you want?

• To eat out
• An extra large house
• Entertainment
• Vacations
• Luxury cars
• Brand name clothing
• Partying 
• MONEY to maintain habits and luxuries

What you need?

• Basic food and water 
• Basic shelter 
• Health care 
• Basic clothing 
• Basic transportation 
• MONEY to pay bills and debts 

Take a good look at both columns. Did you notice what they have in common? The one thing required to attain either your wants or needs is MONEY! Both lists are impossible to fulfill without money! So money appears to be the priority...and this is where the debate starts.
The list of wants will always be larger then the list of needs, and that’s not a bad thing, actually I truly believe life is created for us to maintain a rich life and enjoy more than the basic needs. 

The only issue is that now a days, with the new era of social media impacting our lives like “Titanic into that iceberg”, we are clearly sinking within ourselves.
The new generation is constantly getting hit with the wrong message, they strive to be like everyone else and social media makes it easy for them to compare their lives to the lives of others. With a click of the mouse they can view the profiles of friends and complete strangers, learning each and every detail!

Young viewers “like” the life styles of others and jealousy can set it when they expect to live the same life. It’s as is they expect to wake up tomorrow with great cars, the ability to travel the world, a mansion to live in and a club or party to go to every weekend - the list goes on and on. They often don’t realize that those type of individuals are only capable to receive all of their wants because early in life they understood what they truly needed was to work hard for it.

It is very easy to lose track of what you really want. Social media was created to improve peoples lives, wise people use it for that reason, others waste their precious time pretending to understand and assume that one day they will be like that guy inside the Lamborghini, or that girl inside the jet going to the Bahamas.

Why? Because social media plays tricks on our subconscious mind, creating a fantasy world that is causing regular people to believe they are entitled to have what they want without working for what they need first. We want everything we view through social media in other people’s lives - affecting us to lose track of what we really want.

One should always want better and have the willingness to fight for what they truly want, but never forget what they need is the base of those wants.

Today’s generation is constantly misled by today’s fast-paced changes, they are brainwashed to believe “don’t worry you are just like that rich guy on Facebook.” Unfortunately for those big dreamers out there, they never realise that those wants will only come if they enrich themselves with some or all of these characteristics: passion, love, caring, strength, optimism and persistence.

Concentrate on the elements in life that cannot be bought with money, in the long run, those will bring you true wealth!

You may be wondering how can I be so certain of this? One answer for you:

Every single successful business owner I have ever met have one thing in common: they suffered deeply in many areas of their lives before they sat down in that luxury car or travelled the world. In that pain they found the light to give them vision and see beyond their current circumstances. They learned to give value to the time spent with a real friend, to give value to a glass of water, to enjoy the sun that shines in the middle of a snow storm, to give value to waking up and being able to walk out of their beds and to thank for every moment they live good or bad.