Desire vs. Want - The Subtle Difference

I was re-reading my previous posts (it’s not a lot, so it wasn’t so difficult to do!) this morning and I began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Since I became a Law of Attraction junkie and eventually a ThetaHealer®, I have been very careful about using the word “WANT” in my vocabulary. And when I was reading what I have written, I have used the word “want” more than “desire”!

I guess I’m using “want” because it appears more understandable and less intimidating. I never intended to sound “guru” with this blog, therefore saying things like “what you want” or “things that you want” felt more appropriate.

What’s the big deal? Well, most books and teachings on spirituality say “Desire, but never want.” I feel deep down inside me I understand it, and I would like to be able to express and share it to other people. I went ahead and Google’d the 2 words, and here’s what came up:

DESIRE—
a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.
strongly wish for or want (something).
express a wish to (someone); request or entreat.

WANT—
have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.
lack or be short of something desirable or essential.
a lack or deficiency of something.
a desire for something.

So really, is there a difference at all?

Most dictionary definitions would interchange these two words. The truth is, the difference between desire and want is very subtle yet makes a huge difference when it comes to transforming our lives.

A-Ha Moment!
I just realized that one difference between want and desire is the depth of the yearning they express. For example, it would feel more proper to say “I want ice cream” instead of “I desire ice cream.” We reserve expressing desire for the things that are more profound and meaningful to us. Even saying “I desire to get married” may sound like too much. But when we say “I desire to find that person I could spend the rest of my life with,” everyone who hears will say “aaaaawwwwww”.

Dissecting the Fine Line
Let’s take a look at more of the differences between desire and want in various aspects:

Where is it coming from? When you want something, you come from a place of lack, of need. This is why you can never get what you want. Think about it. If you want something to drink, you are in the state of wanting. And you stayed there and remained thirsty until you GOT something to drink. What happened was you shifted your state from wanting to getting, and ended up having. Once again, the state of wanting produces more of that state – one that is “not having”.

Desire, on the other hand, comes from a place of yearning, of passion. Desire takes a proactive approach. When you desire something, your thoughts, words and actions are almost always that of a person who already has it.

What emotions envelope you? Emotion is “energy in motion.” Therefore, when you have a thought that you put emotion into, you’re sending a signal to the universe that the things that would bring about more of this emotion to your space is extremely important to you.

Wanting brings about fear, frustration and eventually hopelessness. Whenever you think about what you want, you are being dominated by feelings of anxiety, worry and doubt. Will it ever come? When? What if someone gets there first? HOW WILL IT COME?

Desire wraps you in feelings of hope, of appreciation. When you think about the things you desire, you feel excited just by the thought of getting there. You appreciate the things that you have now that lead you one step closer to its grand manifestation.

What exactly are you doing? Going after what you want is an attempt to fix or fill something in your life. If you go after money because that’s what you want, you’re basically filling that need because you do not have it.

Going after what you desire, on the other hand, is a yearning for something to be expressed through you. A person going after his or her desires is committed and passionate about getting there.

In order to attain your wants or desires, you should be on the same vibrational level as those things you want to manifest. Simply put, if having something makes you happy like your dream home, then you should be vibrating from that “happy place” in order for your dream home to come to you, easily and effortlessly.

Modern Dictionary: A Call to Action
I really hope that somehow I was able to express the desire-versus-want paradigm clearly. It is time to remove the word “want” from your vocabulary. Shift to thinking about your desires. More importantly, it is time to shift from the wanting state to desiring.

“Eliminate the word WANT from your language and the state of wanting from your thinking and being. Replace it with DESIRE and desiring, LIKE and liking. Wanting creates conditions of perpetual wanting. You never get what you want.”

- A Happy Pocket Full of Money, David Cameron Gikandi