"May you live as long as you want and not want as long as you live"

Wishing someone to "live as long as you want and not want as long as you live" encapsulates deep desires for autonomy and fulfillment. The first half celebrates the freedom over one's own lifespan. Rather than simply hoping for a long life, it acknowledges that quality and agency matter, may your life endure precisely as long as you wish it to, honoring personal contentment over mere longevity. Not everyone seeks endless years; the sentiment honors a life on one’s own terms, valuing meaningful existence above the default pursuit of length.

The second half goes further, wishing the absence of longing and dissatisfaction. To "not want as long as you live" is a hope for contentment, where desires and cravings do not tarnish the days you’re given. It's not an encouragement to suppress ambition, but rather a wish that, for as long as you draw breath, you find yourself satisfied, at peace with what you have and who you are. This nuanced blessing recognizes that longing and unfulfilled wants can haunt even the longest of lives, so the truest fulfillment comes from a sense of sufficiency and gratitude.

The statement as a whole speaks to the importance of both self-determination and equanimity. It highlights that a truly good life is constructed not solely by the tally of years or the unending pursuit of more, but by inner harmony and the autonomy to choose. Such a life, unhindered by unwanted deprivation or overreaching, is rare and precious. In essence, it is an elegant wish for a balanced life: lengthy if so desired, but above all, rich with peace, acceptance, and self-directed happiness. The ultimate gift is the freedom from restlessness, the ability to dwell joyfully in the present, savoring what is, rather than always yearning for what could be.