While growing up on my father’s Mississippi Delta farm, I marveled at Jaybird’s ability to remain at peace with the world around him, even during difficult times. Because the old black man was my best friend and mentor, I wanted to be like him, but unlike him, I was often encumbered with worry and stress. Noticing this, the master teacher helped me overcome this weakness by explaining that much of my preoccupation resulted from wanting the “wants”: