We all have dream
Understanding the concept of self-actualization could help you come to a better realization of what you’re doing with your life, and where you want to be.
A recent Huffington Post article by Russell Bishop visited the concept of self-actualizing in comparison to self-conceptualizing: “Self-actualization represents the process of becoming more of who you already are, while self-concept is more about your self-talk, about trying to become something or someone you may hope you are but fear you are not,” Bishop said. “While your self-talk represents an amalgam of beliefs, hopes and fears that you have accepted about who you are, your soul-talk emanates from the depth of who [you] truly are, encouraging you to grow, to blossom, and to expand.”
From The Inspired Life: Unleashing Your Mind’s Capacity for Joy, by Susyn Reeve:
From The Inspired Life: Unleashing Your Mind’s Capacity for Joy, by Susyn Reeve:
Susyn Reeve, a self-esteem expert and the author of The Inspired Life: Unleashing Your Mind’s Capacity for Joy, says that unfortunately, many people haven’t even started on the road to self-actualization.
“They don’t understand how the brain works, the creative process, and that everything that exists begins inside and then is brought to form outside,” she says. “Most people suffer from low self-esteem and do not believe in themselves—they feel unworthy, unloved, and are ashamed of these feelings. Their fears, worries, and anxieties stop them in their tracks. They give more credence to the opinions of others and fail to honor their inner knowing.”
Valery Satterwhite, an inner wealth consultant, has additional advice for people who want to become self-actualized. “It is essential to first reconnect with who you really are and what you value most,” Satterwhite said. “Too many people live life through the prism and the prison of a false personality where the real self is buried under layers of expectations—who a person ‘should be’ and what he or she ‘must do.’ As children we tend to condition ourselves—we shape-shift our identities—in order to stay connected, loved, and belong in our environment. The more we strip away these false layers, the more we are able to expand our sense of self and our place in the world.”
She said everyone is capable of self-actualization, and most people want this for themselves, but many people don’t completely become self-actualized. “Whether or not they achieve it depends upon how willing they are to step beyond the comfort zone of conditioning to explore new perspectives, new learning, and new insights,” Satterwhite said.
“Those who live in fear will not travel very far in their journey of self-actualization,” she added. “Fear is restrictive—it cuts off expansion and actualization whether it be within an individual, society, or government. Those who value themselves and the gift that is this life enough reach a point where the pain of staying inauthentic overrides their fear. Those who step into their fears know the joy that comes with the learning and the growth that comes with the courage to step into the unknown. Often what we fear the most is what our heart is calling us to become. It scares us because it matters that much.”
Sarah Lendt, a nationally certified counselor, references the humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow‘s definitions of the stages that people must master before they can reach the final tier of self-actualization. The five stages are:
It can be challenging, of course, to move past all of these steps to get to self-actualization.
Lendt said, “In our lifetime we strive to meet these various needs,” according to Maslow’s concept of self-actualization and his hierarchy of needs. “Circumstances may cause us to go back to a particular stage and need to fulfill it again; once a need is fulfilled, we can work toward achieving the next need. Sometimes unmet needs can cause a person to become fixated or stuck at a particular level.”
Self-actualization is “looking outside ourselves to do good for others, and receiving satisfaction in life for such behaviors,” Lendt said. “It is a point where we are being the best we can be—self-fulfilled and helping others … I think most people certainly can achieve it, but there is so much pressure, so many expectations in our world that people hold of themselves and others, that it is hard to get beyond the esteem level—feeling good and confident about yourself so much that you can look outside yourself in your actions.”
From Kendra Cherry:
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