CAREER PURSUIT

So, in the military context it would be nice to think that the level 1 and 2 needs of sustenance and shelter can be met, so for simplicity we will assume so. Again in this context, the level 3 social need of belonging and inclusion can often be more easily met in the military environment than in the civilian world, simply due to base and living locations and the types of activities that are usually on offer for military families. That said, it should never be assumed that this happens for all families, so it’s great to be that person that warmly welcomes the new family − that help is very rarely forgotten. Level 4 of the triangle is where we talk about the need for self- esteem and recognition, and that is what I’d like to focus on. My background is 17 years as a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force, and for 11 of those years I was, and still am, also a military spouse − now 13 years and counting. DO SELF-BELIEF AND SELF-RECOGNITION FEATURE IN YOUR LIFE? Ow n e r o f t h e I n s p i r e d L i f e G r o u p , l i f e c o a c h , h e a l t h & w e l l b e i n g a d v o c a t e a n d mo t i v a t i o n a l s p e a k e r t a l k s a b o u t s e l f - b e l i e f . B y R a c h e l H a i t h Validation and recognition are things that we all seek, in one form or another, whether we actively realise it or not. They are natural human traits that Abraham Maslow recognised in his famous ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ triangle published in 1943 , which you may have seen before. To summarise it, Maslow proposed that human beings have several ‘needs’ to be met. At level 1 are the basic needs such as air, water and food. Level 2 is the need for physical security, i.e. safety and shelter. Once these needs are met we naturally move on to level 3 which involves social needs, such as belonging and inclusion. Level 4 is ego, including self-esteem and recognition. Then at the top of the triangle (level 5 ) is the need for development and creativity, otherwise known as self-actualisation or living your potential. At first, the triangle may seem a complicated way of looking at it, but actually it’s astonishingly simple and is part of what makes the human race just that: human! 19 C A R E E R P U R S U I T 2 0 2 0