No matter who you are, your interests, or where you find yourself in the world, chances are you are either currently pursuing ways to live a fulfilling life, or learning about how to make your lifestyle your very own, in a way that brings you the utmost joy and fulfillment.

This pursuit however is different for everyone, depending on where you live, your life circumstances, and your cultural background.

But shouldn’t all of us be allowed to actually live the lives we dream up for ourselves? That perhaps the hardest part of this journey should be the courage it will take to get there, rather than obstacles that come from a need to control the population and tell us what is best for us, rather than the other way around?

Let Me Explain

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, all human beings have basic needs that need to be fulfilled, prior to taking on bigger pursuits in their lives.

Take a look at the pyramid below to understand the basic needs Maslow is referring to here.

It’s only when our basic needs are met, that we can move on to the psychological needs, and then when the psychological needs are met, then we can move on to the self-fulfillment needs.

I’m not a psychologist, but I believe in this model whole-heartedly, as I have experienced this myself and seen this take place with many people that have crossed paths with me.

The World we Live In

I recently watched the John Lennon documentary John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky, currently playing on Netflix, and was reminded of the message of peace and inclusion that the song Imagine talks about.

Where the lyrics read “imagine there’s no countries, it’s easy if you try”, I believe it’s referring to this freedom we are all looking for, without the labels and divisions, whether they are borders, race or outdated traditions.

I have lived in 3 different countries in my life, and each one has taught me something different about entering a culture I knew nothing about.

As Americans, we are very lucky to be able to uproot and start a life in a different country without many bureaucratic challenges if we choose to do so.

For instance, there are many Americans who love French culture and have in fact moved to France, without many obstacles, because lucky for us, the democratic relationships between the USA and France allows for this to happen smoothly. Most likely, this type of move will take place at a time when they are fulfilling self-actualization needs on Maslow’s pyramid.

Moving to a new country is no easy feat, especially if you don’t speak the language very well, or at all.

Besides the language difficulties, you will experience cultural shock, isolation, and frustration, as you navigate the new culture, customs and are able to communicate effectively.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the experience of living in a new country, immersing myself in the culture so I can learn what it’s really like to be a local, and be open to what this experience will teach me.

But lucky for me, I’ve never had to make this choice as a way to pursue basic needs, as we see taking place over and over in the world today, especially in my neck of the woods. People are being displaced from their original communities and countries due to safety issues, religious persecution or economical turmoil.

As a mother, I would certainly take the risk if my family felt threatened because of the high incidence of crime and therefore unable to feel safe, even at home. Or if inflation is so high that we would need to bring a large bag of money to the store in order to purchase a loaf of bread. Or have to hide religious or lifestyle preferences in order to not be persecuted or even killed.

We all have to feel safe to be ourselves in order to truly fulfill our life purpose, in a way that not only benefits ourselves, but our communities as a whole.

So if you are thinking about where your next meal will come from, or if you’ll be attacked as you walk outside today, will you really be worried about global warming, animal welfare, or your life purpose? I doubt it.

Creating a New Earth

I whole-heartedly believe that living a life that is by our design, that brings us joy and fulfillment, is the best way to elevate the collective consciousness, and therefore find solutions to these obstacles that exist in our world, that make it so hard for those who find themselves pursuing the basic needs of Maslow’s pyramid.

I also believe that for those of us who find ourselves working on our self-fulfillment needs, it is our responsibility to make sure others can find ways to fulfill their basic needs and get here too. To help remove the obstacles, open the doors, and provide opportunities for growth that might otherwise be hard to come by.

Why? Because besides the fact that providing a helping hand is in the core of human nature (I do believe we are compassionate beings at heart), how can we expect people to care about the issues that threaten the existence of our civilization (climate change anyone?), and make simple changes in their lives, when their most basic needs of safety, food and shelter are not met? It just will not happen.

So if we find ourselves already pursuing our self fulfillment needs, it is our responsibility to open the doors so those who are not able to get there yet can encounter less obstacles in their journey, and find the fulfillment they desire. Afterall, we are all pursuing happiness, aren’t we?

What Can you Do?

Now you might be thinking, well, I don’t want to be an activist, or go to a protest or even talk about the issues that are important to me because I don’t like conflict. I understand that, I think we’ve all been there at one point.

The good news is, there are infinite ways you can champion a cause and make a difference in others’ lives, and no one has to know you are even doing it if you don’t want to! You can always share your findings and look for support when the time is right for you, as I believe it will inevitably happen.

For instance, you can help so many causes by simply being a conscious consumer. That’s right, where you spend your money everyday counts!

You can choose to purchase products aligned with your values that will then benefit the causes you want to support, and in turn lessen the obstacles for those facing hardships.

For example, when you purchase:

Clothing ethically produced – you are helping reduce, and hopefully eradicate child labor and poor working conditions;

Vegan and cruelty-free products – reduce the use of animals and animal-derivatives in the market, end animal abuse, and champion for innovative products that use healthier alternatives;

Less plastic – you help reduce pollution in landfills, oceans, and push companies to find creative ways to recreate the products we love with sustainable materials;

Natural, chemical-free products – you speak up that your health and your family’s health is important, and you help reduce water pollution by not releasing dangerous chemicals into the city sewer system;

Repurposed or vintage items – you give life once again to something that might otherwise not have been recycled and simply tossed in the landfill;

Sign a petition online – you empower others who have taken up on a cause that is also important to you, and help bring change into reality.

As you can see, this list is not all-inclusive and its purpose is to simply illustrate how you can make a difference everyday, and consequently create a more empowering world for all.

At a minimum, simply continue to keep your vibration elevated, by making choices that improve your life, your community, and those that you can impact on a daily basis, and I promise you, positive change is already taking place.

What are your favorite ways to empower your family and community? Share in the comments below!

Much love,

Angélica Renée

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs image by Simply Psychology