I Want

1. I want a house overlooking the beach.
2. I want to take a year off work and travel around the world.
3. I want to work in an environmental education non-profit and get paid at least $100,000 a year.
4. I want a vacation home in Ojai, London and Tuscany.  And a private plane to get there. 
5. I want to look like a (non-emaciated) movie star (but I'd settle for better skin, permanently losing 15 pounds, and bigger eyes).
6. I want a personal trainer and a natural food personal chef.
7. I want to write the next Great American Novel.
8. I want a free masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School without doing a PhD.
   
9. I want a boat in Marina del Rey.
10. I want to be able to drink lots of red wine without getting a hangover.
11. I want to be able to eat lots of cheese and chocolate without gaining any weight.
12. I want this wedding dress. Or this dress. Or many of the dresses just showcased in New York.
    
13. I want this location for my wedding.
14. I want to retire without fretting about making ends meet or having to work until I'm 80.
    
15. I want to be able to pay for my future children's college educations.
16. I want to someday buy a house in a decent neighborhood.

I want a lot of things.  Realistically, numbers 1-11 aren't going to happen.  Numbers 12 and 13 could happen, if I chose to make them happen. I'm in the lucky position of having enough money saved that I could add another $10K to my budget for the dream dress and dream location. But you know what - I choose 14, 15, and 16 instead.  It's hard, knowing I could have a dream dress, that it's in the realm of possibility.  In many ways, it would be so much easier to say yes to the dress.  However, it's not worth it, and so I have to willfully walk around with my hands over my eyes and singing lalalala-I-can't-hear-you about the wedding dress shows and boutiques and magazines.  Because, what I really want is to make my peace with the kind of wedding that fits my real values.