Should vs Want

It's Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life

I want to achieve <X>

I want to do <Y>

I want to <Z>

We all know our wants, but do we know our ‘shoulds’? That is, what we should be doing at this point in our lives?

Well, that’s one of the premises of the book: It's Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life by Jikisai Minami, a Zen monk.

And his argument is very simple - you need to focus on your craft and do what needs to be done, instead of just thinking abouts wants.

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To put it simply, think about what you want to cherish in life, and do that. Who do you want to cherish? What do you want to cherish? Think about these two things.

Do what needs to be done for someone or for something, not for yourself. Don’t worry if the future changes. Think about what you need to do, at least now. I call this “deciding on one’s own theme, and living accordingly.

I am not saying that it is more advantageous to do what needs to be done.