“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. “Psalm 23:4

Six weeks ago, we focused on the first of Abraham Maslow’s five hierarchical needs of the human being – our physiological needs. We delineated these as food and water, sufficient rest, clothing and shelter, overall health and sustainability.

We concluded that even though it is quite easy to determine a check list of things to do, we must be disciplined and adjust our mindsets in a constantly changing environment, manage our time well and just do it!

Today, it is more of the same but this time we shall engage with our safety and security needs which keep us safe from harm. These relate to body, mind, soul, work and projected net worth.

Our bodies are robust but function best when given a daily dose of exercise. We have been taught that prevention is better than cure. Exercise now and live a longer, healthier life. The body is not a machine we need to recharge it through the sleep process.

We used to say that the air we breathe is free but what about the air quality? Now that we are in a pandemic caused by an airborne virus costing us billions of dollars to manage it, we must think differently.

We place a great premium on formal and informal education because it is the integral development of a person, it leads us to a fuller and better life, and it makes us aware of our rights and responsibilities.

If we socialize with our fellow humans this facilitates communication and emotional stability and helps us to manage demanding situations, handle adversity, and remain productive and capable throughout. Sometimes we get to a certain point in our lives when we realize that we are not as emotionally stable as we would like to be.

Thankfully, there are many resources to help us work on it.

We are spiritual beings attempting to master an earthly experience. When we die, the body and mind are no more, but the soul continues its journey through a continuum. If we have faith in and continually communicate with God, this nourishes our soul and strengthens its development. Prayer conditions our minds and meditation instills a tranquil serene environment in which to receive messages from God.

We see our parents work to provide for our daily bread and, when it is our turn, many of us become acclimatized to the world of work. Some are more successful than others and governments help to provide equal opportunity. Education, formal and informal, and experience then determines the type of job security that we can get.

We should include entrepreneurship as an option where, instead of working for someone else, we work for ourselves, satisfy our security needs, and create jobs and opportunities for others.

As part of the formal or informal educational system we must answer the question: “After working to support my family, how do I survive when I am no longer able to work?” The answer is a pension, real estate investments, savings, and other financial investment instruments.

I practice rolling 20-year cash flow projections of my net worth (assets minus liabilities) and advise my family and friends that they should do the same. If our net worth projections are not as attractive as we would like at a given point in the future, then we can take corrective action at an early stage.

Let us pay attention and act about our safety and security needs before it is too late.

Basil Springer GCM is a Change-Engine Consultant. His email address is basilgf@marketplaceexcellence.com. His columns may be found at www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com)