Just got challenged by my friend and co-worker to “write a blog post on that.” This challenge came right after I asked him “Got everything you need?”
Now that I think about it, that really is an impossible, rhetorical question to answer. No one EVER has ALL of their needs met at any given time, and the needs are constantly changing based on the environment, situation and proximity to other people.
You may remember from Psych 101 the basic needs on the basement floor of Maslow’s hierarchy – food, water, air. Most of these are met daily for me, with the exception of Spare the Air days and an occasional bad burrito. So fortunately, I get to spend more time thinking about my needs higher up the hierarchy – self-esteem from achievement, inclusion in social circles and love.
Some would consider these more wants or desires rather than needs, but I disagree. Humans need to achieve things in their lives. Humans need to hang out with other humans. Humans need love.
Zig Ziglar is famous for the line “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” Rebuttal from Mick Jagger, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you just might find you get what you need.”
What are you saying, Mick? That just getting your needs met is somehow a fallback or compromise? I think needs may be far more important than wants. As we know, some people surround themselves with material riches, yet still have an emotional void to fill inside.
Helping the needy may start with those who can’t feed themselves, but it matters for higher needs like friendship and love as well. The next time someone asks you if you’ve got everything you need, don’t forget to ask them back.
Maslov, gotta love him… Somedays I feel stuck level 3 sometimes I feel I reach level 6. There are rare days where I reach both of them together. No, not only what you think 🙂
Jan, I hope you are getting everything you want AND need at your new job. And you will always belong in my tribe.
I love it – blogprov ; )
So do most want to be needed … and thus by helping others in need they are in fact fulfilling thier wants…. Hmmm ….
I almost always feel like I have everything I need. We don’t need as much as the world tells us we do. Clothes, food, shelter – got it. Family and Love – its there too, but it’s not a need, its an emotional desire. We need very little. We desire, we crave, we wish, we want…we want so much more than we need.
Once we reduce our needs to the barest of bare essentials, they become easier to fill. And once needs are filled, going after the rest becomes a much easier task coming from a secure place in life.
I love Maslow’s hierarchy and I often use it to counsel clients on corporate culture! Now you can think about it in those terms based on your corp culture. Hmmm….
As for me…I agree, if you keep it simple, I think most of us have what we need. And with a little focus, can even get what we want (provided it’s aligned with what we are capable of manifesting).
And I agree, for those of us lucky enough to have what we need, sharing that with others is part of the “blessing”!
Jen, so how long have you been completely self-actualized?