I have a secret. It is a secret as old as time. It is the secret of human need. It is the secret that no one teaches you about, because few have the intelligence to take you on a journey to the heart of your being. It is the secret of human desire. The need each and everyone of us have at the core of who we are.
From Emptiness to Emptiness
Look around you right now, what do you see in the world? I see that we have become the most prosperous global community in the history of mankind. I see that we have unprecedented levels of wealth, health, comfort and choice. I also see that we are unhappy with what we have. We live in a world where people are dying of hunger and obesity at different places on the globe at the same time.
I see a world where we keep on taking to fill the void at the core of our being. We have a great need and we are taking from one-another and from this planet in order to fill that need. But, nothing in the material world can truly fill. We start a business, look for a job, get married and have kids all to fill this void. But, from this void, the emptiness, we can only create more emptiness. I invite you to watch this short video that should bring this point home.
Fill the Need
So here is the secret: You are trying to fulfill a great human need that goes beyond the physical world. It is that hole inside your soul. You need to go to the Creator to understand and fill it. There is not other way. It is a deep spiritual need to understand who’s and who you are. From a sense of belonging to the greatest caring Father that desires the true life that He has for you. He wants you to know that He has you and it’s gonna be good!
Have a look at this image to the left (thank you Tony Robbins). There are many variations of our human needs, or desires. The things we long for, breathe after and run after. I chose this one because I find it the most useful. …I have used it in coaching for the last few years and it has the power to cut through the noise and help you understand the motivation at the core of your being.
If you look at the picture and specifically focus on the top four needs, which one stands out for you? How is your need for certainty. It is things like your paycheck, working environment, roof over your head, etc. Certainty is in paradox with variety. Too much certainty, the same thing day after day, and we start to crave some variation.
There is also a paradox between significance and love/connection. The more you seek to be significant through your achievements, you tend to focus on yourself and that moves you away from love/connection with other people.
The final two needs are the needs of the spirit – growth and contribution. They are universal needs, but perhaps you have an inclination towards either one. Usually it is more difficult to focus on growth and contribution if haven’t addressed the paradoxes of the needs of the personality (a.k.a. coping mechanism limiting your true potential/essence. …more on that in another post).
From Theory to Practice
That sounds great, doesn’t it? But what is the reality? How do you do this? The answer comes back to spiritual intelligence. You have to look after the most important connection you have by incorporating regular spiritual habits in order to connect with the Divine. This connection is defined by an encounter or experience to help you open your spirit up and receive love and thereby comprehend that Divinity is your security, variety, significance, love/connection, growth and contribution.
Once you understand that you belong to the Divine and that there is a place for you, identity becomes destiny. Stop the creation of emptiness in your own life and start creating form overflow. Go from survive to alive!