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The Things We Want to Want
After 27 flights, I started questioning the difference between what I need, what I love, and what I want to want
Last year, I took 27 flights and slept in at least 20 beds across every corner of Africa: North, South, West, and East.
It was mostly for work.
By the end of the year, I was telling Azzen, someone I work closely with, about another trip I had to take. I was frustrated because I was doing it simply because “I needed to.” Without overthinking it, he said something that took me weeks to digest:
“Khalil, I noticed something after working with you for two years. You are always doing what needs to be done. In those two years, I saw you only once pursuing what you love doing.”
I was shocked because it was true. I had never managed to verbalize it this way.
In the days that followed, I started analyzing what I love to do versus what I need to do. Every decision became an assessment. I asked myself about everything: “Is it something I like to do or something I need to do?”
The exercise helped me figure out a few things about myself. Yet, there is a blurry line with this type of question. For instance, do you like eating, or do you need to eat? Or do you love talking with…
