Figuring out who you are through self-actualization

Chances are you’re probably wondering what self-actualization is and what it can do for you. If so, you’re not alone. Countless individuals will spend their lives trying to discover who they are and where life will take them. On the other hand, many people have already reached a level of self-actualization and gained an understanding of who they are and where they actually want to be. Why? Only a small percentage of people will put forth the time and effort to focus on their individual self, which ultimately leads them to discovering their real purpose in life. It’s not surprising why so many individuals end up questioning what’s the reason for us being here on earth.

In order to reach our highest potential in life, we must discover acceptable ways in which to sustain it, that’s what self-actualization challenges us to do.

So, what does self-actualization actually mean?

We’ve all spent time day dreaming about certain things in life. For this instance, think of what might be included for you to be happier in life? What about that job or career you’ve always dreamed of getting? What qualities really make up your dream job? How about that home you’ve always dreamed of owning? Where is it?

For some people, it may not be a home but rather a camper trailer or RV that provides more mobility and freedom. What about your dream spouse or mate? Are children a part of your life? These questions open up possibilities and ultimately challenges us to foresee a life that is unique and functioning at its greatest potential.

According to Joseph (2016), we basically reach self-actualization when we are at the top in all aspects of our life.

Self-actualization and the Hierarchy of Needs according to Maslow

Maslow proclaims, self-actualization as being the pinnacle of our hierarchy of needs. It involves our safety, physiological needs, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Something you might find surprising is that roughly one percent of the population will only achieve self-actualization.

As soon as self-actualization is achieved, an impending sense of inner peace and satisfaction takes place. Accomplishing this improves self-regulation and the control of various elements in our lives such as creativity, mental wellness, and problem-solving.

Best way to achieve self-actualization

According to Kay Green (2013), four individual steps have been identified that will help people to reach a level of self-actualization.

Forget about the constant need to compare yourself with others

There’s no doubt that many of us have given in to the curiosity of comparing our lives with others. How many of your friends have been married, bought a home, and started on a path of raising kids? Do you begin questioning this as something you should do as well? If you have a friend or family member that decides to return to school, do you begin wondering that a degree or advanced training is something for you as well? Sadly, many of us have a bad habit of constantly wanting to compare ourselves with others and utilizing this to figure out what we want to be. You really don’t need to measure yourself against others. Even though it’s considered a natural tendency to measure how we are against others. Unfortunately, the problem exists where certain gaps can often cause you to rethink your situation, or simply self-criticize what you’ve done and continue to stress out with things which are basically out of your control.

Entering the center of self-actualization is control. Self-actualization gets rid of the need to qualify or even quantify the accomplishments you make against others. It reverses the situation and challenges you to make an evaluation of where you currently are as an individual, and ultimately compares the results with those of where you would like to be.

Follow the path of acceptance

Self-actualization generally requires us to entirely accept ourselves for who we are. It’s a necessity that challenges us to understand and accept the good and the bad of who we are. As individuals we have faults and you must continue to love yourself and consider all that you can give back to the world. On the other hand, you can’t afford to elaborate these gifts which are commonly referred to as strengths.

This level focuses on full recognition of the person you are and the ability to utilize your assets as well as your shortcomings to reach your highest potential. You should have the capacity to discover humor in the things relating to yourself and do not take things seriously about yourself, all while having the compassion for others and their originality from who you are.

Accept that you are in control

Your destiny with self-actualization simply means you are in control. There will always be various external things that might impact your individual behavior and strategies. However, self-actualization involves self-awareness. It’s self-awareness that will help you realize that your work is never done. There needs to be ongoing growth and an evolution of self that extends from a personal standpoint to one of a professional. Basically, the state of fulfillment becomes one of a temporary situation.

While everything else in the world follows chaos, you should be functioning in a more self-actualized state. This means you can remain true to who you are and traverse any situation simply based on your individual strengths and weaknesses.

Growth should continue

As previously mentioned, self-actualization is a journey that never ends. As you continue to learn and master certain areas of your life, you simply move to an area or elements of your life that require a little attention. The time and attention of this will become a cycle, and you shouldn’t be surprised in discovering yourself working on certain parts of who you are for two, three, or four times.

Realistically, many people will not try to reach self-actualization either due to being unaware or even cultural bias. But remember, for those who put forth the effort and understanding will have greater opportunities in reaching a state of fulfillment in life.

References

Joseph, S. (2016). What is self-actualization? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-doesnt-kill-us/201609/what-is-self-actualization

Kay Green, R. (2013). 4 Steps to self-actualization and becoming the best version of you. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/r-kay-green/personal-development_b_2479253.html