How To Thrive

Ensuring your basic needs are met is the stepping stone to a fulfilling life, says Eve Boggenpoel

- Eve Boggenpoel

Many years ago, I went to hear the inspirational Maya Angelou speak. She walked on stage without saying a word and sang one of her poems in a rich and resonant voice that exuded wisdom, authority, compassion, and humor, bringing goosebumps to my arms. Also staying with me were her words, ‘The problem for the thief, is not how to steal the chief’s bugle, but where to blow it. The problem for us is not how to survive, but how to thrive.’ When we’re striving to meet deadlines, barely squeezing in lunchtime workouts or throwing together meals at the end of long days, reaching our potential and living life to the full can feel like a dream.

If you’d like motivation to help bring about change, the notion of a hierarchy of needs could be helpful. The late US psychologist Abraham Maslow’s early theories stated that in order to thrive, your basic requirements must be met. There’s scant hope of expressing your creativity or finding your true purpose if you’re struggling to keep up with the mortgage repayments. Here’s how his theory stacked up.

BODY BASIC