Kids are funny. I love when they interchange words as they are learning the language that change the whole context of the conversation. I remember a time one of mine lamented for a cookie by changing I WANT to I NEED. The whole tone changed...how could I say no...her survival DEPENDED on the nourishment and joy of this cookie! I wonder sometimes if we also interchange those words incorrectly, not in the same way as my daughter did, but instead not focusing on the right things. What you WANT is not always what you NEED... We WANT much from life. Everyone has different goals for success in work, life, and beyond. We struggle to find success at times and I wonder if it is because we are backwards. Are we filling the things we truly NEED before we focus on the things we WANT? There is no fast way to the top of Maslow's pyramid. Often times, I think we look at this as an overarching guide to life. If we have food, safety, friends, and worth, than our expectation is that we should be able to reach our fullest potential all the time. We can dive into WANTING since our NEEDS are met. What if we used Maslow's pyramid in more of a situational environment? Our lives aren't constant, and thus neither are our NEEDS. Am I truly rested? Do I feel mentally safe in my work environment? How are my closest relationships today? Can I see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel of accomplishment? My guess is when we begin to look at NEEDS through a daily and changing lens, we find a missing brick keeping us from climbing to the things we WANT for today. Our self inflicted expectations aren't met, and we feel unfulfilled. Let's approach a daily NEEDS assessment to help move us toward success. In our every effort to get what we WANT, maybe we really should find what we NEED before we try and fill life with what we WANT! |
Thanks for stopping by. These are musings on how I see leadership in the world and how I continue to try and grow through my lens.
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