Did you ever suddenly find yourself lusting after something you did not possess?
Perhaps it was something as big and jolting as a new home. Then again it might be something necessary like a new car to replace your aging clunker. It might even be a position, promotion, or an assignment of great importance, or it could be that new suit of clothes that you think will change your life.
Think about this my friends. How many times have you wanted something so badly that you could literally taste it? If you are anything like me, the list of times that you really wanted something badly is truly long indeed. The answer to this question probably provides one of the oldest life examples of how one should live their lives. We want what we want whether it is something we need or not.
Maybe we should step back at take a look at our skills and abilities and compare them to our needs. What we need and what we want are often two different things. Then if you factor in what we might be capable of doing with what we want, new problems come to the fore. There are frequent mismatches between talents and expectations.
Back in high school it was the desire to earn my first varsity letter in football that drove me wild. All of the older football players would hang out in the hallways of dear old Freehold Regional High School wearing their white cardigan sweaters with the blue and gold FR varsity letters sewn proudly in the appropriate spot on the left side of the sweater. My expectations were fueled by what I saw happening to others around me.
They looked so cool. And they acted so cool too. I thought that all of my problems would be solved if I could just earn the right to wear the covered FR of a varsity athlete. Of course I can now share the real facts about what happened with you. When the time came to step forward and take my turn in the world of varsity club members, nothing special happened to Harry Carter. Apparently the "coolness" came from the person and not the varsity letter.
My persona remained as it was. I was still shy. Girls still scared me. Truth be told friends, I only dated two girls when I was a kid. One of them was Jackie, the cute young girl from Adelphia who later became my wife.
My abilities remained mundane. My ability as a speaker was minimal, and my abilities as a writer were marginal at best. Hell, I could not even make cool chit chat. People did not invite me to parties, or any of the other social events. That varsity letter was neat, but it was not an entr
