The Six Human Needs
🤔 Did you know that we all have six profound needs that drive and motivate the choices we make?
I got very intrigued the first time I heard this… ❓is this one of the common denominators for all of us (humans) regardless of gender, race, nationality and many other differentiators? Yes, it actually is. Understanding the six human needs unlocks 🔐 the mystery of the why and how we go about our lives. They set the intention that will result on our thoughts, actions, experiences and the relationships we create in our life.
Many authors on the personal development area address the human needs. The way Tony Robbins approaches this topic has truly resonated with me. I will share now what are they, a personal example to show its translation and the importance to understand and use them.
Let’s start by defining the six human needs:
1. Certainty⏱– wanting to feel safe, avoid pain and feel comfortable
2. Uncertainty / Variety ⁉️– needing to change, surprise ourselves to avoid boredom from the routine
3. Significance🔆– seeking to feel special and important. It is that recognition from others and ourselves
4. Love ❤️/ Connection🔗– needing connection with other human beings. A feeling of community and being loved.
5. Growth🌾– needing to constantly develop, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Growing is living.
6. Contribution🎁 – going beyond our needs to give to others. A fulfilled life usually is tied to making contributions to others or to a cause.
We all have these needs and we meet them in varied ways. The key is to identify 📝 the top two needs as they 1) determine our main focus and 2) provide the blue print of our actions and emotions towards the experiences we live. I have realized that my focus has changed over the past 12+ years of my life.
Back in 2008, I was in Ecuador enjoying 🎉 one of my best times personally and professionally. Personally, I was in the best shape, climbing mountains, surrounded amazing friends and family, living in my dream home, and really enjoying life in many dimensions. Professionally, I was leading a regional team were we found synchronicity and we were creating great results and performing at an exceptional level. We called ourselves the Dream Team! 💕Every person on our team was empowered, we had each other backs and truly were a big family. All this gave me the Significance 🔆(super life, leader and manager) and Love❤️ /Connection🔗 (the love and care from my family, team and friends) I was soaring… ✨✨
Then, in 2010 a big change ⚡️came into my life... of course I was feeling too comfortable so life found its way to provide me with new experiences. I moved to the US and started a new chapter in my life. The personal and professional environments were different. My successful approach in Latin America did not resonate with the new work culture, and everything was new…. So my Significance 🔆 and Love❤️/Connection🔗 suddenly were shattered… I went through rough times of adjustment. 🌪 With time Significance 🔆 became less relevant and Growth🌾 picked up instead. I wanted to learn and understand what I needed to do to succeed in this new environment. That is how my sharp focus and dedication to my personal development increased. I knew that I needed to change myself by having a deeper understanding so I could learn the new ways to better Connect 🔗 and develop new relationships. This challenge put me on a great journey that helped me discover different sides of myself and made who I am today.
In 2019, leading the buildup of a new operation, moved me to apply my new skills from the personal development world. We were testing candidates to be selected for interview in Guyana. I could see in the faces of these young professionals the stress 😬 while waiting to enter the room for the test…. That made me come out of my traditional shell 🐚 and all of a sudden I found myself playing the song “Happy” and making 100s of people dance 💃🏽🕺🏾to refocus 😳their thoughts and get them more relaxed 😊 before they began their test. I took guts and enduring the laughs of my colleagues that thought I was crazy…. Something came into me that day unleashing 💫 a new side of me that dares to experiment and do things out of the ordinary. This in congruence 🦋 with my top priority to care, mentor and guide the success of young professionals… this event was the “tipping point” that opened the door to living my current passion and creation of some of my training and coaching programs… all driven by a profound need to Connect 🔗and Contribute🎁 to a bigger cause than myself.
Now in 2020, Contribution🎁 and Love❤️/ Connection 🔗are my top two needs…. They fuel 💫my thoughts, actions, experiences and relationships. I am coaching more, sharing reflections with all of you in Facebook & LinkedIn and doing many other things…. I could see 👀 my transformation and how understanding the human needs helped me be more grounded and congruent 🦋 with my personal intentions and mission. I still have much more to explore and sometimes encounter more questions than answers…. But one thing is for sure .. I have the drive to find a way to make it happen.
Soo…. ⚠️ Now that you know what the six human needs are and their importance: What is your story with your human needs? What are our top two needs that drive your choices and actions today?✍️