If we are going to keep taking like this and be assured that I want to keep the conversation going! We have to agree on a common lingo. I feel that I need to teach you a bit of Jasonese.
I use a few words a lot! I know its kind of a flaw that I am working on improving. However, let me be the first to inform you that you that I over use a few words like perception a lot in conversations. So I want to introduce you to another concept that I feel is crucial in our communicating together.
The concept is the 6 human needs. I have been taught and truly believe that there are only 6 human needs that we are all trying to meet. They are:
1) Certainty or Comfort
2) Significance or Recognition
3) Uncertainty or Variety
4) Love and Connection
5) Growth and Learning
6) Contribution
If you find this hard to believe then simply try to think of some exceptions to this concept. What desires or needs do you have? What are you motivated by? What things are you trying to achieve? Aren’t all of these motivated in some way shape or form by at least one of these six human needs.
In fact I would welcome the exceptions to this rule in the comments section! We can discuss them together and maybe adjust the needs when we do find a true exception. Until then though, let us at least humor this concept for the point of discussion.
My understand is that the majority of the population is driven by the most basic two or three of these needs. Certainty – knowing where your next meal will come from. Or where you will sleep at night. Significance – being recognized for our efforts or accomplishments. A slightly lesser amount of the population (maybe more desired by men than by women) is driven by Variety in their lives rather than Certainty. The truth is the more Variety that you can comfortably live with in your life the more excitement you will experience! However pursuing Variety in your life can challenge your Comfort level and therefore bring fear. It is ironic that these situations are often where some of the most growth can occur in our lives. In our Uncertain zone.
Love is perhaps the next most common desire (maybe sought more often by women than by men) and is obviously a higher evolved driver than simply having enough food to survive or being honored for our own accomplishments.
Think about it for a second why is it that you do, most of your activities? Why do you go to work each day? Why did you choose that career? Why do you even have a career? I would bet that the majority of us would answer that at least one of these first four needs is the reason behind our daily routines.
The more complex of these human needs includes Growth – expanding your consciousness to learn more about things that you have yet to experience and Contribution. Most people will desire to have all of their other needs meet before they ever worry much about giving back to others or helping the entire Human experience to evolve. However, this ought not be the case!
When I ask people what they would do having all of their other human needs met. They often struggle to come up with even one answer. Many say they would want more certainty or more significance. It is only when I insist that they do have all of the resources that they could every want, will they then typically focus on what charity or contribution that they would most like to give back to the world.
So it is only when we feel abundantly wealthy, recognized, loved and liberated that we tend to focus on learning and giving. However if instead we reversed this hierarchy and focused first on what we had to contribute would not all of our other needs be met too? I suggest that if what you want to give away most with all of your destined wealth is say housing for the needy. Then can’t you do that today within your current resources by volunteering with a program like Habitat for Humanity? It does not take any riches to participate and they typically have projects after and around normal work hours. So it would not take away from your current certainty. To participate Doing so may also bring even more variety to your life by trying and learning some new things that maybe you don’t get to do very often. Like swinging a hammer or hanging a door. As for Love the best way to feel it is to give it and for me when I think about the people that will enjoy the warmth and safety of a new or repaired home, I personally feel worthy and therefore loved for helping to supply it! If you ever took the opportunity to drive by after the completion of such a project you might even get to see the smile in someone’s eyes or the pride of ownership that they might not have had the opportunity to feel before your small contribution of time and energy.
My crazy theory here is that if we do the things that we would do if money and time were not an issue then we would have all the emotions that we are struggling to feel every day.
It might not be building a house or feeding the homeless. I just encourage each of you to become conscious of why your doing what your doing every day. If more of the same is not going to help you to become whom you want to be remembered as? Then maybe a shift is in order.
Thanks to all that read, Love to all that contribute.
-Jason
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