in pursuit of self-actualization.

saturday, february 24th, 2024.

Man, it's been a week! My partner and I caught COVID from the little one and have been on the mend. I'm really looking forward to being able to breathe through my nose again. Fever and general fogginess are well behind us, though!

Maslow's heirarchy of needs has been on my mind a bit. It occurred to me that I've been feeling both incredibly happy and fulfilled lately. Going through my journal entries in the last few years, I can definitely see myself progressing through Maslow's heirarchy:

An illustration of Maslow's heirarchy of needs.

Fortunately, I've never experienced a lack of having my physiological and safety needs met. I've been reading Min Jin Lee's Pachinko for the last week or so, and it really makes me feel grateful to have not experienced discrimination or food & shelter scarcity. Perhaps more than those base needs, I am incredibly thankful to have a family and friends that love me and make me feel like I belong.

In recent memory, I've been concerned with aesthetic and habits— folding myself inward like some sort of identity-forming croissant, then peeling myself back to find out who I am. Casio brutalism, technical manuals, grease, sprockets, a mala, pen and paper. Holding onto the things that work— that make me feel good and whole, and letting go of the things that don't.

Now, I'm turning to purpose— to doing things for the benefit of my community. I do not know how things will turn out, although I certainly can imagine a direction in which I hope they will. It is not a legacy I seek, but a tree I hope to plant and water for those that come after us.

Ah, that's quite enough self-indulgence for today! Speaking of planting things, my partner has been potting seeds of wildflowers and a grocery-store onion that sprouted on our kitchen counter. The last freeze of Winter has passed, I think, so we're very much looking forward to Spring and warmer weather. It puts a tremendous smile on my face! Having the porch door wide open and the wind breezing through our house is so refreshing.

Until next time, be well! :)