What if We Don't Know Exactly What We Want?

"What is youth?
The French philosopher Roher Gaurady suggests that while
most people believe a person is born young and then ages and dies,
in reality, acquiring youth in the deepest sense is a very long and challenging process.
The youth of which he speaks is the spiritual strength
not to stagnate or grow resistant to change
but to stay ever open to new possibilities.
It is the power of the spirit
that refuses to succumb to complacency and strives forward. "
Daisaku Ikeda, For Today and Tomorrow p. 71

I am often recommending that we all write and rewrite our lists of what we want in our lives, and continue to hone our desires so that we can achieve what we really want in life. 

Being specific is always a good idea...

But what if we don't know what we want? Does that mean our lives will not advance and that our happiness will always elude us? 
No. No. No. 
If we don't know exactly what we want, we can still activate a very powerful prayer on our own behalf. If we focus our prayer on using our lives for kosen-rufu (world peace) we can continue to advance our happiness even if we don't really know exactly what we want. 

Right now, as many of you know, I am looking at the next phase of my life and chanting about my next job/life endeavor. And I have an all-encompassing prayer, rather than a narrow and exact prayer. 

I chant to use every one of talents for kosen-rufu, fulfilling my real mission in life among people who inspire and delight me. I chant to be well-compensated and happy and fulfilled. 
That is enough. 

I don't have to have a clearer vision until I do have one. At some time I may have something specific that catches my eye, and chant for that. In the meantime this is still a powerful prayer.

We can adopt this idea for any prayer...to find love for kosen-rufu...to buy a new house for kosen-rufu, for anything you want for kosen-rufu. 
Basing our lives on kosen rufu will move our lives in the direction of our happiness. That us just the way it is. We can't go wrong. 
The prayer for kosen-rufu is a deep prayer for the happiness of all...the happiness of all beings. Basing our lives on everyone's happiness is a noble and beautiful way to live. Our happiness is assured when we have such a strong prayer.