In 1943, Abraham Maslow determined that four basic needs must be met in order to begin the process of self-actualization: physiological, safety, belongingness, and esteem. This would later become known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the foundational model for modern psychology and behavioral theory. Maslow determined that should any of these needs go unfulfilled or become deficient, ones’ health would suffer as a result. Should one meet these needs successfully, such an individual could proceed towards transcendence.
Physiological Health
Physiological health provides a foundation for protection of everything that manifests within you. Treat your body as though it is a well-oiled machine by training it regularly and providing it the fuel designed to allow it to function efficiently.
Safety
The next step after ensuring your body’s functionality is to feel secure within your environment. In order to have a sense of safety in the world it is imperative that you build relationships which you can depend on in times of need. This allows you to have a retreat to fall back to for peace and comfort.
Belongingness
Once your body is both functioning properly and secure within its surroundings, you must find a sense of belonging. This step is crucial in regards to spiritual health. Engage your interests and find a way to use them in order to serve the world. By doing so you will find yourself more connected to the universe as an individual with a defined purpose for existence.
Esteem
Finally, once these three needs are met successfully your self-esteem will naturally skyrocket. The positive reinforcement of constantly accomplishing goals will increase your confidence to engage in and perform a task at hand. The harder you push yourself and the more you can prove yourself capable of, the more confident you will feel in your abilities and self-worth as an individual.
Written by GUADS intern Joe
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