The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest

8 2 BRIANNA WIEST
Your need to feel secure is valid.
Often, the first reason we start neglecting our essential
needs is because we think we are weak for having them.
We only believe this because when we were young we did
have to rely almost entirely on others to meet our essential
needs. Eventually, this fails us, because another person
cannot fulfill us entirely, nor are they responsible for it. As
we grow up, we learn self-sufficiency. In fact, reliance on
oneself for the foundation of our basic needs is an important
part of a person’s development.
In the same way, it is also important that we recognize we
cannot meet every single one of our needs on our own.
Human beings are hardwired for connection to others and
to a group. This is why we exist in subsets, like communities,
and families, and generally feel happiest and most
fulfilled when we are doing things that serve the greater
good. This is a fundamental and healthy part of who we
are, and it is not a sign of weakness.
In other cases, your need to feel financially secure is
healthy; it is not always a product of you being greedy
or ill-intentioned. Your need to be validated for the work
that you do is healthy, and it is not always a product of you
being vain. Your need to live in a space and area that you
enjoy being in is healthy, and it is not always a product of
you being ungrateful for what you have.