Your Purpose and Maslow’s Pyramid

In 1943, the American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed his idea of the hierarchy of needs, popularized as Maslow’s pyramid, as part of the paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”.

The idea consisted of steps (needs) on a pyramid. Every one of us is in one of these steps at different moments of our development.

These needs are:

1. Physiological needs are the base. This includes necessities like air, water, food, heat, clothes, and shelter.
2. The safety needs are health care. Personal, emotional, and financial security.
3. The next step is social needs such as family, friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance. Receiving, and giving, love and affection.
4. Self-esteem needs, consist in the respect and admiration of a person, but also self-respect and respect from others.
5. Self-actualization is discovering and trying to achieve our own potential, pursuing goals, and parenting.

Why is it important to be aware of this?

Throughout our lives, we’re going through these stages, and once we have one fulfilled we continue going up. If you live in a very contaminated place or in a war zone, maybe you’re struggling with the first or second level. But if you live in a modern country, with Internet access, all your basic needs are met, including health care, you have gone to University, etc. Consider yourself lucky and appreciate the life you have. Because you’re part of the 7% of the world population that is at this level, of a universe of 7.8 billion people.

The people that are at this level, have time and the necessity of wandering about the meaning of life and ruminating whether they are or they are not fulfilling their own calling or desires.

If you’re running for your life, you won’t be worried about your purpose, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably in a better situation than millions of people, right now. You’re constantly rethinking your life. And in that case, be grateful and keep improving yourself.

Because usually when people are happy and fulfilled they begin helping others, and the environment, reconsidering what they eat, how they pollute, etc., and what kind of world they are leaving after their demise. You can be more conscious of your own decisions and how they affect the planet and humanity as a whole, making you happier because you contributed to improving, even if it’s a little bit, the situation.

And just to reflect, besides all our problems, we must be conscious that right now, we’re living in the best era to live. And every day all gets a little better. We have had so many scientific improvements, medicine, and quality of life, that destroy that saying that “every past moment was better” that we say with nostalgia. No, there’s no better time than now, and tomorrow will be better than today, but all we have for now is the present moment.