10/06/2020
In•ter•de•pen•dence - the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.
Recently, I have been reading Nonviolent Communication (which is a fantastic book). It has a section that talks about basic human needs. There are some that we can provide for ourselves like creativity, fun and rest. There are others that are based off of interdependence: acceptance, appreciation, closeness, community, consideration, emotional safety, empathy, honesty, love, reassurance, respect, support, trust, understanding and warmth. This is a pretty substantial list of needs that come from relationships.
This year we have all had new restrictions on our lives: who we are able to see and spend quality time with and how often we can be with them. We have also spent more time than usual with ourselves or at home with our partners and family. However, our basic needs haven’t changed.
For me, I just moved 6,000 miles to a place that I didn’t know anybody. I look at the list and think “Man, that is a lot of me to ask of my partner.. to provide me with all of those things.”
I imagine your story and mine may be different but there are some similarities in the bottom line. We have all had stressors on our relationships. We all could use some lifting up.
How can we make a conscious effort to provide our friends and loved ones with these needs? Look back through the list. I invite you to help somebody meet their needs today. It may even help meet some of yours too. 💖
