“Already know you that which you need.”
Yoda is stating that everything that you need in life, you already have. Despite the size of the task at hand, your inner strength and talents are sufficient to face any obstacle. It is up to you to decide what you do with the powers available to you.
Needs vary from one person to the next, yet they are very personal and they constitute the very integral part of our makeup. Needs manifest themselves in our subconscious and over time they develop into full existence.
Once a need becomes evident then it is not optional and so it must be fulfilled for us to functioning at our very best. Fully knowing our needs allow us to control the energy cycle. Being aware of what you need helps you to know what proportion of energy you need so as to achieve it.
You can get hold of your own Star Wars costume here. Dress like a Jedi or become Darth Vader this Halloween.
How to identify needs? What are our need in life?
A need is something essential it is not just a desire. Identifying your needs will help you understand yourself better and also know the amount of energy you will need to complete the needs.
For a person to separate a need from a want or desire then they must first identify key factors in their life and then proceed to ask the right questions. Here are some steps that can be used to identify needs.
- 1. write down four instances in your life where you felt that you were on top of the world
- 2. Now that you have identified the four instances now focus on them one after the other and identify any need that was being met in the course to the accomplishment. Now, this requires you to have a flexible mind, just write down what comes to mind.
- 3. Now in that list that you have drafted up ask yourself, “is this a necessary human need or did I want it because it was a fashion item?” do this for every item on that list. You’ve just identified your needs and separated them from your desires and wants.
Our physical and emotional needs
As human beings, we have both the physical and emotional needs. We all need to consistently fulfil those needs because we continuously live with the fear that the item that gives us security will one day just vanish.
For this reason, most of us cling to items or people that actualise our needs regardless of how toxic they may be, our emotional and physical needs drive us to that point and we end up being slaves.
We try our best to show that we are indispensable to these items so that we can have them around for a longer period of time. Most of us confuse the object that provides for our needs as the needs themselves.
What are the benefits of having satisfied needs?
Needs basically control our day to day lives and they determine the amount of drive or motivation a person can have. As you satisfy a need the original want becomes less important because you get to move on to other better ones.
When you satisfy a need you are induced with some confidence, a sense of progression and you get to raise your standards in the process as you stop seeing others as benchmarks. Also, you get to know who you are and accept yourself for each and every attribute.
As a result, you stop comparing yourself to others eventually realising you are not part of the rat race but you are running your own race and eventually you will become an elixir of happiness and positivity.
Hierarchy of needs
Abraham Maslow developed “the hierarchy of need theory”. This is a very popular framework used is sociological research.
He developed five levels of needs and stated that one cannot progress to the next level of needs before they have fully fulfilled the level of needs below it.
1. Psychological survival needs:
These are basically the needs for a human to survive, they represent the first level of needs. A normal human body cannot function properly if they are denied these needs.
- Air
- Food
- Shelter
- Water
- Sleep
2. Safety needs:
Once a person accomplishes their psychological need they move on the safety needs which represent the second level in the Hierarchy of Needs. These needs form the basis of human behaviour, they include.
- Personal security
- Freedom from danger
- Financial security
3. Love and belonging:
Represents the third level of the Hierarchy of Needs. These are interpersonal needs where a person longs to feel a sense of acceptance from any sort of social group.
Examples include:-
- Social Acceptance
- Social Interaction
- Social Affiliation
4. Esteem
This represents the fourth level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It identifies the need for status and recognition and basically to be accepted and valued by others. The essence of this is to boost the ego. Examples of esteem needs are:
- Self-worth
- Competence
- Respect and recognition
5. Self-actualization
After you have fulfilled all four previous levels of needs you move onto are the fifth and final level. When you have accomplished all your basic needs then all that you are left with is realising your full potential. Examples
- Physical
- Mental
- Emotional
- Spiritual
The five levels above represent the basic structure which makes our lives livable, but sadly there are millions still at the survival stage.
Needs vs desire
Desire can be defined as the strong wish to have something or wanting something to happen. Maslow was right about the lower level of needs:
- Without air to breathe we can survive only 5 minutes
- Without food, you can survive between 3 weeks and 3 months
- Without water, one can only last for a week
- Depending on your sleeping habits you need somewhere between 7 to 9 hours of sleep regularly so as to function properly. Those who get lower sleeping hours may end up taking naps during the day
As we progress on in life and start getting higher up in the hierarchy pyramid, the needs become lesser and lesser. This is when desire sets in and starts becoming of greater importance.
People tend to confuse their desires as need, if their motivation is strong they can end up making the lives of other people to be miserable.
For example, leaders perpetuating corruption in underdeveloped countries tend to embezzle public funds that could have been used to enhance the livelihood of the poor citizens.
People in power embezzle not because they don’t have, but because of their desire to have immense wealth. In doing so, they contribute towards denying the citizens their basic needs.
fractal.org/
Originally posted 2018-08-06 12:59:11.
