What Do You Want? A Painful Question In Difficult Times

We all go through difficult times in our lives. For example, the end of a relationship, a resignation from the job we are used to, suffering an unexpected accident that now limits us in many aspects of life… All of this will force us to ask a painful question that will lead us to rethink everything that even now we took it for granted: What do you want?

It’s not easy to give a quick answer. In fact, this question can surprise us and make us feel very lost when thinking about an answer. Because, after all,  who really asks themselves what they want? We often get carried away, turn on autopilot and don’t stop to analyze whether the way we’re living is what we really want.

We don’t do any of this until, one day, something happens that forces us to do. It is as if until that moment we were in a comfort zone, from which we are violently expelled. Some people are grateful for this situation and start to live enjoying life, which they didn’t do before. But others remain for a long time where they left off. They cannot advance or retreat, and then they are consumed.

What you want? A painful and determining question

Perhaps we are wondering why the painful question “What do you want?” it’s so hard. The reason lies in the fact that it is decisive. In some ways it will represent a change and, as we all know, many people are not very supportive of change.

Although the changes do not represent anything negative, what caused them in the cases we are talking about are negative circumstances. Therefore, our vision is covered with an absolute negativity in which nothing that can happen will be positive.

Let’s take the example of a woman who had a traffic accident and lost a leg at a very young age. Her name is Paola Antonini. She is currently a model, has a YouTube channel and inspires many people who follow her, whether they have suffered an amputation or not.

Paola Antonini’s overcoming story

If we research a little more about this young woman’s story, we’ll find that after spending nearly an hour waiting for the ambulance after the accident, being fully aware of what had happened and feeling immeasurable pain, the only thing she wanted was to stay alive.

Recovery was very difficult. The prosthesis hurt. But at least she could walk! Paola asked herself the painful question after the operation:  What do I want? These days she travels a lot, always has a smile on her face and shares words of encouragement with others, but also with herself. For her, the accident was not a disgrace, it was an opportunity to redirect her life and live it in a much more intense way.

Taking the step towards change hurts

Having reached that point, it may be that “What do you want?” don’t be a really painful question. Perhaps the painful part is moving and moving on when something has disrupted our lives. However, many changes are positive and force us to leave behind behavior patterns that did not benefit us.

Ending a relationship can be an opportunity to put an end to the emotional addiction we never wanted to see. If we are fired, maybe it is time to undertake, to carry out that project for which we never “had time”. Each of us must discover what we were putting off and putting aside, what really imprisoned us and, for the first time, let go of fear and do what we really wanted to do.

It’s true that at first it will be difficult, but the answer to the question “What do you want?” it can be very clear within us. The problem is that our fears keep us from taking action. In difficult times it is necessary to stop, take time to feel the pain and make a decision that is beneficial to us. Not avoiding pain, not escaping from it; taking the step and overcoming the situation will make the pain disappear and turn into hope, peace and tranquility.