I was sitting, enjoying my first cup of tea this morning when my mobile ‘phone let me know I’d had a message.  Immediately, an image of a person popped into my head and I was suddenly aware that I always associate that particular notification with this particular person.  And it got me thinking …. as many things do, about how this was just as good an example of learned behaviour, as the experiments that Pavlov did with his dogs.

Those of you that aren’t sure what I’m talking about, Ivan Pavlov was experimenting during the 1890’s with what he termed “conditional reflexes”, that is those reflex responses that only occur conditionally based on a ’specific’ previous experience of the animal, in this case he associated the sound of a bell ringing with the provision of food.  Every time the bell rang, the dogs salivated, even when food wasn’t presented simply because they had associated the sound with the action.  You can read more at here at wikipedia if you like.

Anyway, I digress.  As I continued musing on the fact that the ring tone always made me think about a particular person, I realised that this happens a lot in life.  I know, I can be slow sometimes and I’ve heard this a million times before, but it is essentially the same information that is shared in The Secret and every other tome on changing your thought patterns.  I realised that most of my thoughts are automatic and dependent upon a specific stimuli that triggers them, therefore to change the way I think I need to take action that helps me to prevent the trigger having the automatic effect, to that end ……. I changed my ring tone – job done!

Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

Anyone who is familiar with self development is probably aware of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow used his famous diagram to explain the requirements that he believed all human beings need in order to be complete.  Each of us is motivated by our needs.  The original diagram has been adapted over the years to reflect many different usages, from personal development to human resource management in companies.  The most basic needs are those triggered by our very basic requirements for life to be sustained and include at the base level, food, shelter, warmth, drink and sex for instance.  Once these basic needs have been met, we are then able to move on a look at the next level of need, safety and security.

Maslow’s theory states that we must satisfy each need in turn, starting with the first, which deals with the most obvious needs for survival itself.  Then only when the lower order needs of physical and emotional well-being are satisfied are we concerned with the higher order needs of influence and personal development.  Conversely, if the things that satisfy our lower order needs are no longer available, we are no longer concerned about the maintenance of our higher order needs.  This is most evidenced when we read of the atrocities that are committed during times of conflict.

It would be easy to assume though that this is a straightforward and linear process and that each of us is on the same journey towards ‘enlightenment’.   Yet this is not the case, we can have our needs met in many different ways; for instance we can be completely fulfilled in our work but not even experience security in a relationship.

Looking at the diagram afresh it also seems to me to fall neatly into two parts, the lower levels (1-4) and the one upper level (self actualisation).  It seems that these two parts reflect two completely different levels of perception too – the first is built on a LACK of something, be it warmth, security, relationship or status.  Whilst the fifth, self actualisation, is based on a perception of  GROWTH.

How many of us can say that we are truly on a path of growth in our lives, we are bombarded daily with constant reminders of what we DON’T have in our lives, about how our lives need to be better, improved, different – how different it would be if we were able to look at what we did have and be simply content that we have more now, than we have had at any time in our past history.

My yoga teacher Katy just sent me this Christmas wish and I thought I’d share it with you …..

If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep …. you are richer than 75% of the worlds population.
If you have money in the bank, your wallet and spare change in a dish some place …. you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.
If you woke this morning with more health than illness …. you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation …. you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death …. you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If your parents are still alive and still married or together …. you are very rare indeed.
If you hold your head up with a smile on your face and are truly thankful …. you are blessed because the majority can, but choose not to.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder …. you are blessed because you can offer the healing touch.
If you can read this message …. you are more blessed than over two billion in the world who cannot read.

Have a really great day, count your blessings and remind everyone else how blessed we are.  It really made me stop and think and maybe tomorrow I’ll share the ‘global village’ with you.