Needs and Desires (Part 4)

by Scott Noelle

One way to view needs is that they’re strategies to fulfill higher-order desires:

  • I need a cup because I desire some water.
  • I need some water because I desire a healthy body.
  • I need a body because I desire the delicious experience of being human.
  • I need to be human because Life desires to expand through my experience.

Each higher order takes you to a broader perspective.

You can do this with any need, and the highest-order desire will always be essentially the same: serving Life. (You might prefer to substitute “Life” with “God,” “the Universe,” etc.) Try it with your most pressing needs: “I need to sleep,” “I need some time for myself,” etc.

In the above example, it would be logical to conclude that the ultimate reason I need a cup is so Life can expand. But it would be silly to conclude that Life can only expand through my acquisition of a cup!

The broader your perspective, the more you can see that there are an infinite number of ways your broader needs and desires can be fulfilled. (That goes for your children, too.)

Improve Your Groove

Today, whenever you perceive a need, determine what desire the need would fulfill, then think of alternative strategies to address the desire. It’ll boost your creativity, and you’ll feel more abundant, too.

Originally published on 2007-06-29
Share It !