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Growth Needs

Poverty exists where basic needs are not being met. It is vital to recognize that the basic needs of humanity will only be met for humanity by those who already have their basic needs met and who are meeting their growth needs. Unless more people meet their growth needs, the world will be kept in poverty and deprivation of human dignity. Growth needs refer in some way to the growth in our essential nature as human souls in incarnation.

As more and more people are responding to soul, which is the consciousness of growth, issues of poverty are increasingly being addressed as a global responsibility rather than just a local issue as we see with such global events as Live 8.

There are many people today who must consciously recognize that they have growth needs because they are ready and capable of fulfilling these needs. When the basic needs are sufficiently met, then it becomes mandatory to fulfill the growth needs, for that is always the next step. If we do not make that transition we start to develop pathologies – which is exactly what has occurred and is occurring on the planet.

These pathologies take the form of alienation, anguish, cynicism, apathy, etc. and manifest in behaviour that we are seeing in the world today such as children killing children, psychopathy in high places (characterized by a lack of conscience), megalomania (lust for power), lack of respect for life and property, and the like. These are the pathologies that develop when growth needs are not being met. They are maladies of the soul in the sense that soul needs to be connected to and is not. Therefore the soul energies themselves are being distorted and expressed in pathological conditions.

Growth needs are those needs that relate to the development of consciousness. Some are foundational in that they lay the groundwork in the personality for consciousness development, and often are about developing awareness in the personality which must precede the development of consciousness.

Some of the growth needs that we need to experience are:

- giving
- right relationships
- good health
- awareness of feelings
- connection to beauty
- control of reactions
- balance and harmony
- mental clarity
- ability to concentrate
- ability to think logically
- knowledge
- ability to discriminate
- humour
- freedom & ability to choose
- detachment
- spiritual discipline
- trust in inner guidance
- safety and security
- integration of experiences
- satisfaction in achievement
- self esteem
- friendships
- love and support
- a sense of belonging to community
- meditation & communication with higher realms
- development of the heart
- relationship to the universal/God
- soul consciousness
- universal ideas and ideals
- unconditional love
- a meaningful belief system
- a sense of meaning in life
- a sense of purpose
- safety and security

Exercises: 1. Attune to your soul or true inner self and determine what growth needs you need to meet. 2. What effect will meeting these needs have in your life and service? 3. In meditation attune to the energy of each of these needs, and internalize and deepen these qualities of being within you.

This is one of 150 Soul Perspective articles. For more articles visit Soul Perspectives Index.

Andrew and Bonnie Schneider are now offering personal interactive email coaching for the 4 Level Soul Journey program. Connect weekly with Andrew and Bonnie on how to develop soul consciousness. Read more about this personal coaching from Andrew and Bonnie Schneider by clicking here.