We are naturally drawn toward comfort. There’s nothing wrong with that. A body needs a warm, dry, safe place to live. 

In fact, this goes along with a diagram that a researcher named Abraham Maslov developed in the 1940s. It was part of his theory of human motivation. It has become known as Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s a five-tier pyramid of human needs. 

The base (foundation) of the pyramid is our psychological and needs for food, water, rest, security, and safety. These ‘comforts’ motivate us. Once we realize the ‘comfort’ from having all (or most) of these needs met, we can then start to reach for some of the others like the needs for love, supporting community, and personal accomplishment. 

Let’s be honest. Pursuing Maslov’s top level needs can be risky. We’re pulled out of our comfort zone big time when we try something like taking a robotics class or  learning to program a 3D printer for the first time. Do you take action toward the ‘unknown’? Or do you stay in the comfort zone?

STEM DREAMS CHALLENGE: What if getting out of your comfort zone is the key to realizing your STEM dream?

So how about you? What happened when you overcame your fear?