And back by popular demand (and practice hopefully) are the remaining 3 tenants of the 6 human needs.
1.) Love/Connection
2.) Certainty
3.) Significance
4.) Variety
5.) Contribution
6.) Growth
Nice guys finish last.
I always choose the fix-it cases
Why choose hamburgers when you have steak at home?
All yada yada yada talk. But why do we delve from the nice guy, the things that are functioning properly or the damn good fillet Mignon perfectly cooked to a medium rare with the tastiest grilled mushrooms on top?
Variety. It's this crazy dichotomy of needing human need #2:Certainy with a dash of the necessary #4. Variety. It's what keeps things exciting, get's our hearts and minds racing (in a good way)and sparks creativity. When the greatest artists or innovators brainstorm, they don't just think about the same ideas over and over again. They have a variety of ideas...wacky ones...far out...liquid nitrogen ice cream anyone? When a fashion designer creates a new line for the season, they don't just open the standard 'Fashion 101' book and design based on the standards...they bust out their tool box of magic and create evening, ready to wear, day time concepts. Then they pinpoint one an idea that works. The point is, variety gives us a refreshed perspective. How do you know you only like Italian food when you haven't tried Persian, Chinese, French, or indigenous food from the Sinhala people? The experience with variety creates certainty and openness a lot of other things can't. Sometimes that's why people get bored of things or need to 'shake things up' (whatever that means).
Contribution is #5 on our list. Why collaborate in a group? Why do I do what I do at work? What's the point of giving a homeless guy your unopened bottled water? (Ok ok I confess, I tried it a few times and something about it made sense and felt good). Contribution is a key factor in not only feeling significant, but truly doing good on an infinite scale. To do something big in life, you have to contribute...whether that's contributing 5 hours of silent time for yourself a week...or donating your earnings to charity. The spirit of giving breeds appreciation, gratitude and whatever it is you contribute, the more you are making a difference in the world. Sometimes people think they have nothing to contribute, which is an illusion because all things stem from incremental steps.
Finally, growth is the last human need. This is a huge one for me. My friends always make fun of me because I usually get myself in odd predicaments. They ask "Nat why do you love everyone?" or "How come you always have these meaningful conversations?" To me, constantly growing, having curiosity, learning new things, keeping my mind open has kept my mind fresh. Think of plant. If you stop watering a plant, it stops growing so what does it do? It dies. But it takes a variety of things for a plant to grow. From the richness of the soil to the purity of the water. I try to find areas that I can grow (spritually, mentally, physically) and the best part is, when you actually feel the growth...it trickles on to other people...the enthusiasm, sometimes the pitfalls...but mostly the lesson learned to move forward.
I didn't exactly what it took to create a truly fulfilling life and I could never pinpoint it until I encountered these points. I knew that balance was key in every aspect of my life, but doing so meant understanding myself first. People say you have to sacrifice for what you want and need but I say you have to reprioritize. Filter out everything that you DON't need and presto! The things you need are become so clear and appear right in front of your face. After much trial and error in dating, working, people befriending, family interacitons, or what have you....this list finally has it all...So try making your own list, rank them and see on a scale of 1-10 where your at. Remember, one change of the number in your scale can be like a phone number, a swap of a number can mean calling Hong Kong versus calling Bumblefudge Boontown. To give you an idea of where I'm at and to get you started...here it is and be honest with yourself (or it's not gonna work)!
scale from 1-10:
1.) Love/Connection:10
2.) Certainty:10
3.) Significance:8
4.) Variety:8
5.) Contribution:7
6.) Growth: 9
And a little piece of my childhood human need
1.) Love/Connection
2.) Certainty
3.) Significance
4.) Variety
5.) Contribution
6.) Growth
Nice guys finish last.
I always choose the fix-it cases
Why choose hamburgers when you have steak at home?
All yada yada yada talk. But why do we delve from the nice guy, the things that are functioning properly or the damn good fillet Mignon perfectly cooked to a medium rare with the tastiest grilled mushrooms on top?
Variety. It's this crazy dichotomy of needing human need #2:Certainy with a dash of the necessary #4. Variety. It's what keeps things exciting, get's our hearts and minds racing (in a good way)and sparks creativity. When the greatest artists or innovators brainstorm, they don't just think about the same ideas over and over again. They have a variety of ideas...wacky ones...far out...liquid nitrogen ice cream anyone? When a fashion designer creates a new line for the season, they don't just open the standard 'Fashion 101' book and design based on the standards...they bust out their tool box of magic and create evening, ready to wear, day time concepts. Then they pinpoint one an idea that works. The point is, variety gives us a refreshed perspective. How do you know you only like Italian food when you haven't tried Persian, Chinese, French, or indigenous food from the Sinhala people? The experience with variety creates certainty and openness a lot of other things can't. Sometimes that's why people get bored of things or need to 'shake things up' (whatever that means).
Contribution is #5 on our list. Why collaborate in a group? Why do I do what I do at work? What's the point of giving a homeless guy your unopened bottled water? (Ok ok I confess, I tried it a few times and something about it made sense and felt good). Contribution is a key factor in not only feeling significant, but truly doing good on an infinite scale. To do something big in life, you have to contribute...whether that's contributing 5 hours of silent time for yourself a week...or donating your earnings to charity. The spirit of giving breeds appreciation, gratitude and whatever it is you contribute, the more you are making a difference in the world. Sometimes people think they have nothing to contribute, which is an illusion because all things stem from incremental steps.
Finally, growth is the last human need. This is a huge one for me. My friends always make fun of me because I usually get myself in odd predicaments. They ask "Nat why do you love everyone?" or "How come you always have these meaningful conversations?" To me, constantly growing, having curiosity, learning new things, keeping my mind open has kept my mind fresh. Think of plant. If you stop watering a plant, it stops growing so what does it do? It dies. But it takes a variety of things for a plant to grow. From the richness of the soil to the purity of the water. I try to find areas that I can grow (spritually, mentally, physically) and the best part is, when you actually feel the growth...it trickles on to other people...the enthusiasm, sometimes the pitfalls...but mostly the lesson learned to move forward.
I didn't exactly what it took to create a truly fulfilling life and I could never pinpoint it until I encountered these points. I knew that balance was key in every aspect of my life, but doing so meant understanding myself first. People say you have to sacrifice for what you want and need but I say you have to reprioritize. Filter out everything that you DON't need and presto! The things you need are become so clear and appear right in front of your face. After much trial and error in dating, working, people befriending, family interacitons, or what have you....this list finally has it all...So try making your own list, rank them and see on a scale of 1-10 where your at. Remember, one change of the number in your scale can be like a phone number, a swap of a number can mean calling Hong Kong versus calling Bumblefudge Boontown. To give you an idea of where I'm at and to get you started...here it is and be honest with yourself (or it's not gonna work)!
scale from 1-10:
1.) Love/Connection:10
2.) Certainty:10
3.) Significance:8
4.) Variety:8
5.) Contribution:7
6.) Growth: 9
And a little piece of my childhood human need