Before we start on a journey that will help us grow, I recommend figuring out what you want and need.

If you grew up in an alcoholic and dysfunctional family, you probably put other people’s needs above your own, or you may have repressed what you want. Or worse, you may have taken on destructive behavior and mirrored what you say in your life.

But we are adults now and can make different choices.

You may have suppressed what you wanted for so long that you no longer remember or know.

Yet there is always hope.

I invite you to write down five things about what you want for yourself.

Then I ask that you write down what you need to be healthy.

“I want and need money” might be a common answer that many people write down, but I would ask you to look beyond material wealth.

I want and need to be healthier is what I wrote down. That thought then got me thinking about what I could do to have a healthier life (eating right, getting a full night of sleep, exercising), and I started to see patterns form.

The good news is that at the beginning of a journey, we can decide where we want to do, whether to turn around or go off in another direction.

What works for me may not work for you. But if I share an example of an activity, book, or experience with you, that could help you to think and question to figure out what you need to be healthy and happy.

So, here’s a sample of my wants:

1. I want enough money to raise my family and have a good life.

2. I want to be healthier.

3. I want to write books.

4. I want to be surrounded by my family and friends.

5. I want to learn new things every day.

And here are my needs:

1. I need money to pay the bills.

2. I need to be healthier.

3. I need to connect and share my experiences with people.

4. I need to give and receive love.

5. I need to question what I learn each day.

See what I did there? I wrote five ideas out and then flipped the wants into needs.

Now take one of the needs and ask this question:

Is it healthy for me and true?

I’ll take my #3 idea I wrote down:

Is it true that I need to connect and share my experiences with people?

And in a moment of peace and stillness, I think on the answer, and I can say yes to that.

The purpose behind this exercise is to get the creative juices flowing and to have you pick out a few ideas that you can work into your daily routines.

How can you achieve want you want and need?

The answers that come from your answering that question will start you on your journey.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.