Food for thought

Hello again.

Right this minute, I am reading for one my my classes, which talks about Organizational behavior and Human Resource Management in Organizations. I am currently readin up on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. For those of you who know what this is all about, I hope you agree with me when I say I find it quite interesting, and exciting as all this theory talks about is all life-related, and not just limited to the work environment. Maslow's need theory is widely known, recognized and applied by pacticing managers. But I personally would like to take it out of the business context and apply it to our everyday lives, cause that's all I found myself thinking about as I read it (not to say I did not relate it to the job I currently have and have had in the past).
Ok so, it's arranged in like a pyramid form, and it is made up of:

1. Physiological Needs: Hunger,thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs,
2. Safety Needs: Security and protection from physical and emotional harm
3. Social Needs: Includes affection, a sense of belonging, acceptance, and friendship
4. Esteem Needs: Internal factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement and external factors such as status, recognition, and attention
5. Self-actualization Need: The drive to become what one is capable of becoming; includes growth, achieving one's potential, and self-fulfillment.

The Physiological need is at the bottom of the pyramid, and is described as lower order; social, esteem, and self-actualization were categorized as higher order needs.
This theory says that as these needs become substantially satisfied, the next need in the pyramid becomes dominant. Let's think about that for a second. Looking back on my own past experiences, and what I talked about a couple of blog entries ago, we start off having physiological needs. Those are like basic, and no one will dare refute that. No one is birthed into this wonderful, yet complex world of ours, and they start of by seeking self-actualization, to be fulfilled within ones self, to be all they can be. We start of wanting our basic needs met like what are we going to eat today/tomorrow?? What will we where? what job will provide me with security for my family and I??? I know I have had these thoughts and concerns. Haven't you???
Then comes the sense of belonging issue I was talking about before. Friendships and affection is great. I mentioned how I spent most of my life trying to belong and have a sense of belonging to not one but different types and groups of people I found myself around. Right now, I believe I am seeking to satisfy my top two needs: esteem and Self-actualization. I know no man can make this happen, just like it took nothing but the grace and divine love of God, and a few friends (who believed in me when I couldn't seem to pick myself up) to bring me past my bottom three needs. God know's there are a lot of women out there who can't seem to make it past the lowest order, which is the Physiological need. (Thank you Lord!!!!!!!!)
I look forward to growing in all areas of my life, to do things Ify/Anthonia/Toni never thought was possible, to go to places that was only a day dream away at one point in time.

(I feel like screaming. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ;-D)

Now think about this pyramid. How true is it in your life? Do you mind sharing???