Abraham Maslow the famous motivational psychologist once said that, "Until you take care of your lower needs, you will never be able to fulfill your higher needs." The reason most people never fulfill their dreams or goals is because their basic human needs are never met. These 10 needs listed below supersede any dream or goal that you might have. They are NOT optional; your body and mind is constantly trying to fulfill them consciously or subconsciously.
THE 10 HUMAN NEEDS
1: Food And Water.
Your body is always in survival mode, constantly monitoring and thinking about food and water; where and when to get it. If you didn't know when you'd have your next meal, then that would become your primary goal. You would spend all your time in search of these things and you would not be able to focus any time on anything else.
2: Clothing And Shelter.
What if you didn't know where you were sleeping tonight? Could you really concentrate on reading this? One of the reasons that you feel calm enough to read this is, that you know where you are spending the night and you have clothes. Without clothes you couldn't even leave your house. You will need to make money in order to acquire these things.
3: Sleep.
You can't live without sleep. You may think that sleep is a waste of time. But your body needs it. If you don't get enough rest your system won't regenerate and won't function at an optimum level. Eventually your body and brain will just shut down without sleep and you could even die.
4: To Love And Be Loved.
We all need love, it is not a choice. You don't love because you want to. You love because have to. Your body and mind are constantly trying to connect to others through love. You must be able to both give and receive love to be fulfilled.
5: To be Held And To Be Touched.
This is a need that starts from the day you are born. The first thing a doctor does when a baby is born is put the baby in the mother's arms because it needs to be held. If you had a baby and gave it food, attention and clothing, but never touched it in the first year of its life, it could develop severe mental and physical problems. In some cases the baby could die. Touch is a sense a child cannot live without, because being held and touched is crucial to survival. Studies have shown that the more children are held, the smarter and the more secure and confident they will be. Science suggests that we need at least 5 hugs a day. Are you getting yours?
6: Acknowledging Your Pain.
Pain is a messenger that demands your attention. If you feel sad, angry, empty or lost, you are not acknowledging your pain. You are trying to do what most people do and just pretend that it doesn't exist. As much as you are trying to forget the pain, pain doesn't seem to ever want to forget you. Your body stores all the pain and traumatic experiences you have had in your entire life. Without acknowledging and releasing those feelings you cannot move on. You will be stuck in this need until you resolve it. You might need a mentor or teacher to help you with this need.
Are you dealing with your pain?
7: Being Needed.
That is really what a family or community is about. A family structure is having the feeling that you are wanted and needed, and that you are stronger together than you are individually. If you don't feel that anyone needs you or anyone wants you, then there isn't really a reason to get up in the morning. There is nothing you can accomplish alone, but in the right group you can achieve anything.
John Lennon once said: "A dream you dream alone is only a dream, but a dream you dream together becomes reality."
8: Creating A Life Of Meaning.
There is a wonderful book entitled "Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. It describes a man who is trying to survive his brutal experience in a World War II concentration camp, because he wanted his life to have meaning. When you have meaning and purpose in your life, you get up in the morning with an energy that is unstoppable. If you don't know your purpose, then you are just aimlessly wandering around without any direction. You are constantly asking, "Why am I here?" We all want to know that our lives have meaning. The more meaningful your life is, the happier you will become. There are 2 days that are the most important moments in your life. "The day you were born, and the day you know why you were born."
9: Optimism.
We are all born wanting to be happy. An optimist sees possibilities and finds hope in the most difficult of times. You can't live without hope, it is what keeps you going. Hope makes you believe that things are possible. We are naturally attracted to positive, hopeful and optimistic people because that is our true nature. Having a dream is not special, what is special, is the person who sees the beauty and importance of their dreams.
10: Love And Trust Yourself.
When you love and trust yourself, you connect to your instincts and follow the messages of your heart. Remember, your heart will not lead you astray and your instincts will help you fulfill your bliss. You must learn to love yourself and appreciate everything you have to offer. You are working on yourself through love. By loving and trusting yourself you connect with your personal powers, which you will need to succeed in life. "Only when you learn to trust yourself, you will know how to live."
The Dream:
Realize that these 10 human needs are constantly working to fulfill themselves. Only when you satisfy these 10 needs can you focus your energy and power toward your dream.
www.bernardhiller.com Author of "Stop Acting - Start Living"