What do you want?

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this:  decide what you want," Ben Stein.

Far too many of us have had our dreams of what we want ignored or interfered with by other people, to the point that we have gotten out of touch with what we want and instead are doing what will bring the approval of other people.  Parents, educators, and other adults may have persuaded you that you should do or be something, to the point that you have lost track of what you want.  Being a caregiver for dementia can be so demanding that in this role, too, we can lose track of what we want.  After all, who has time to reflect on what one wants when one is supervising, assisting, monitoring, cajoling --- plus taking care of all the tasks necessary to keeping a household solvent. 

One thing we can do is think about what we want in respect to this task before us, this task of caregiving.  For me, I want harmony, ease, safety, as well as the basic needs of food and shelter.  But I also want fun, recreation, exercise, time for meditation/prayer, good conversations, supportive relationships, laughter. 

What is important to you?  How can we have what we need for our own well being?