Love and Safety
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We are facing challenging times. It’s all around us. Protests. Wildfires. Grand Jury. Systemic-racism. Job-loss. Homeschooling. Health. Fear. Financial. Masks. Social Distancing. Relational. Insecurity. Worry. Depression. Election. Quarantine.
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Are the challenges of today showing what we’ve put our hope in?
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When I was in undergrad, I think one of the first classes in Psychology 101 discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. The base of this pyramid consists of “basic needs” - those are the basic needs of survival, water, food, rest, shelter, safety, security. Moving up through the pyramid, the second tier is psychological needs, consisting of belongingness and love. As a young psychology student, I skipped over those basic needs, and focused in on self-actualization. What does that mean? What does that entail?
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Now that I am an older psychology student (for life), I realize those foundational tiers are so important. Those tiers make all the difference. Everyone is capable to move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. However, progress is often disrupted by a failure to meet those lower level needs. Life experiences may cause you to fluctuate between levels of the hierarchy.
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What do we need right now? What have we put our hope in? We need love and safety. I think it is this simple. The basic needs - safety and love - love and safety. As we navigate through these days, let’s get back to the basics. Even if its just for today. Love and safety.
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Let’s write about love and safety?
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Where do you feel the safest? What do you need right now?
What is inspiring you right now?
How can you show yourself more love?
What do you need most to heal right now?
Where does your hope lie?
How do you add value to the world?
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keep pushing through