Reflecting on my needs today, I realized that a whole lot of things have changed for me in the last decade. Those years, I was just one of those who misunderstood needs for desires. Many of us had an endless list of desires mistaken for needs, and somehow, chasing these desires caused us to prioritize a lot of things that didn't matter, putting away things that truly matter.
It's not like these desires were completely terrible, but we really don't need a whole lot of them to live a fulfilled life.
Miraculously, my needs in life have shifted from just mere desires to something more important, which is my happiness, and embracing minimalism played a huge role in that. I got to understand that my needs are beyond just material possession or external validations; they are things that should add value, bring meaning, and purpose to my existence. Understanding these changed so many things for me, and it's amazing how life became more beautiful after I choose to prioritize happiness.
I developed this idea of pinning my needs on my happiness because the world we live in today is highly rich in distraction. Yes, I am disciplined with my lifestyle; I know what I truly want, but let's not forget that I am also a human capable of making mistakes, so to prevent myself from being distracted or prioritizing the unnecessary, I centered my needs on what makes me happy, and that's all.
Good health
I have been a bit under the weather this week, and it's really not a cool thing for me. I hate being grounded even when I don't have much to do, and it's really annoying breaking down sometimes despite investing so much in my health.
Times like this are just inevitable, and it just reminds us of how valuable and important it is to be healthy mentally, physically, and emotionally. Everything a human would become has a great connection with our health, and since there is no happiness without a stable health, good health is automatically a need for me.
To be healthy, I have a daily exercise routine. I feed my body and mind the right nutrients, and all of these have been quite helpful over the years.
Personal freedom.
Earlier today, I stumbled on a video online, and it has to do with the lives of people in prison. They shared their stories about prison life, and I had to show my siblings because, several times, I have told them that having freedom is the most underrated blessing in the world. I have this strong belief that once a man is deprived of freedom, he or she has been deprived of life.
It's horrible thinking about being restricted in life, and it's something that will break me down a lot. I love and enjoy my freedom, so it's automatically one of the things that makes me happy. Somehow, I still see freedom as a need despite having it, and that's my simple way of reminding myself the importance.
Due to its pricelessness, I distance myself a lot from whatever will deprive me of freedom. I put my emotions in check because that's one of the things that has caused people to lose their freedom in life. I live in peace with people and think thoroughly before taking any step in life.
Connections.
I am a very open person when it comes to relationships and really appreciate people who build genuine relationships with me despite my shortcomings. My family is a perfect example because of how much we have stuck together through the worst situations in life. Despite having the opportunity to drift apart several times, we have chosen to stick together, respecting the bond we share.
I believe that living alone in this big world is just impossible, and no matter how much we think we are best alone, there will be a need to build connections with people for different reasons. Among these reasons are emotional well-being and personal growth. As a matter of fact, there are challenges in life we can't go through alone, and we just need these people around.
Having people I have built a deep connection with around makes me a lot happy, and I always count this as one of my needs. This doesn't mean I have to go about chasing people to build connections, and it definitely has nothing to do with selfish interests.
These needs I mentioned are quite essential for me to live a fulfilled and happy life. They have helped me unlock a sense of purpose, and with them intact, there are so many things I get to enjoy as a bonus in life.
My perspective about life has changed a lot, and one of the best lessons I go around with today is that happiness doesn't cost more than I can afford.
All Image Are Mine
