Are You Hungry for More?

Do you long for more? Is something empty deep down inside? Do you long to be fulfilled?

Of course you do; this is the human condition. Remember back in psychology class, when you studied Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs? Here’s a refresher:

PHYSIOLOGICAL
At the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid, he states that you must have your basic needs met. If you’re hungry, you need to be fed. If this fundamental need isn’t met, you can’t even think about the second level.

SAFETY
At the next level, there are safety needs: If you’re in danger, you need protection.

LOVE & BELONGING
Up another level, there is love and belonging. You need people you can trust—a community and a tribe.

ESTEEM
Rise one more level and you’ll see that self-esteem is necessary to confidently move in the world.

SELF-ACTUALIZATION
And finally, at the top, there is self-actualization. This is the pinnacle, where you gain understanding of your role in the world.

At the top, it’s less about you getting fed and more about how you feed others. This is what I call a Vibrant Life. This is a life, pulsating with energy, on a mission to energize, impact and influence others. Do you want this kind of life? If so, you’ll need to work on a vision. This will require you to work on your self-esteem. You’ll need to discern how to actualize (make real) why you are on planet earth!

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AN INVITATION TO SEE WHAT IS POSSIBLE

In order to have a vibrant life—a  life that SHINES—you must do the following:

• S — Self-Assessment Work
• H — Habit Work
• I — Integrity Work
• N — Next Right Step Work
• E — Energy Work

Creating your vision statement begins with Self-Assessment. Understanding who you are informs what you can do with your life. This work is exciting, exhilarating and energizing. Rosabeth Moss Kanter says, “A vision is not just a picture of what could be. It is an appeal to our better selves, a call to be something more.” 

She’s right. You have a calling. In your daily coming and going, you have experienced an impression, a nudge, a voice in your head, a message from your spirit that tells you there is more to life than meets the eye. This calling urges you to see what could be, what should be and why. In other words, the calling is an invitation to see what is possible (a.k.a. a vision).

At some level, all of us have done formal and informal Self-Assessment. Your entire life up until this point has informed you about what is possible. You’ve experienced a longing to improve. You’ve desired something different. And you’ve sensed that you need something more. 

Are you hungry for more? It’s perfectly normal to want something more.  Really, I promise. When you were a baby, you needed to be fed. This is the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid. You needed the basics. You came on the scene needy and determined to get fed. The moment you realized that you were hungry you let out a squeal that had everyone in your presence alerted to this fact. From birth, you asked and you received. 

As you grow up, however, circumstances change and expectations shift. As an adult you are required to be self-sustaining. You must learn to feed yourself if you want to move up the pyramid. Mature adults belly up to the smorgasbord of life and start to inventory what’s available. Immature adults strap themselves into a highchair and cry out for someone else to feed them.

Is that too harsh? Just imagine an adult in a highchair squealing to be fed. It’s a ridiculous image. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon.  In the coaching process, there is a basic question that must be answered. The question is: What do you really want?

Sadly, many adults cannot answer this question. They answer, “I don’t know.” They’re hungry, but instead of seeking food they complain about being hungry. They contend that they are incapable of finding something to satisfy. They compare their lives with those who are full and happy, and they criticize the next right steps required to feed themselves.

If you are hungry, doing self-assessment will feed you. As you look out into the world the options are abundant; without careful contemplation, they can be overwhelming. Again, there’s a smorgasbord of possibilities out there. The need for self-assessment is imperative. Let’s eat!

Here is one very powerful question that will begin to feed you: A year from now, what kind of life do I want to be living?

Get a journal. Get a vision. Write down the answer.