Self-Actualization: The Psychology of Achieving Your Full Potential
People illustrations by Storyset
What responsibilities can you bear? What is important to you? What do you wish you could do? What is stopping you from achieving those goals, and how can you get them out of the way?
“Don’t let who you are stop you from being who you could be.” - Jordan Peterson (clinical psychologist and online personality)
I have been preparing for an exam that could change my life, or at least be the beginning of a life-changing journey, as there are other parts to the exam, and this is the first. I had goals that seemed impossible for me, but I was gradually inching closer to them until last week when an illustration job came in and took up all my time.
I had to do research at work, draw all weekend, and the job was due the next day, but I wasn't even halfway through, and the more time I spent on it, the more clueless I became.
At the same time, my primary goal is to learn to articulate myself better and become a better version of who I am now, so that my features are more refined. I have been working on becoming a better writer for this purpose, as well as having a blog and making videos, and everything in that line just aligns.
Working through this week has made me sacrifice what I think I'm meant for, for what seemed expedient (even though it didn't actually seem expedient). I have fallen further away from my goal, but in a way, it has been worth it.
Pathogenesis
People illustrations by Storyset
Where does it all come from? Maybe it comes from me, myself, and I. I created this world around me to limit myself from being all that I can be. Maybe it's from society's expectations of me. Whatever the circumstances are, they are dictating my future.
Some parts of me have to die for the better parts of me to grow. It doesn't mean those parts are particularly bad; it just means they are no longer necessary for me to grow.
Self-Actualization
People illustrations by Storyset
This is a concept in humanistic psychology that refers to the process of achieving full potential. It includes chasing personal growth, creativity, and a sense of fulfillment in life.
The self-actualization theory posits that each individual has the drive toward personal growth, and reaching potential is the ultimate goal of human behavior.
If self-actualization is to be attained, then the person has to focus on their strengths and work to develop these skills and abilities.
How can you build the future when you are focused on your past way of thinking? How can you reach full potential when you are stifled by who you are?
In Mark 9 verse 43 in the Bible, Jesus's disciple addressed the fact that if you are going to go to heaven (whether idealistic or real), objects and ideas that hold you back have to be cut off.
What is your goal? What do you want to accomplish? What sacrifices are you willing to make for it?
The Brain
People illustrations by Storyset
It all starts in the head, but what is surprising is that there are still no clear paths drawn up by science to achieving goals; if not, there would be a drug we could take, maybe for a week, and we would be able to achieve our goals.
So far, what we know is that some hormones play a part, like dopamine, testosterone, and estrogen. Dopamine is linked directly to reward systems and feelings of accomplishment, while testosterone has been associated with confidence and assertiveness, and estrogen is associated with empathy and emotional intelligence.
Isn't all that just beautiful? With everything happening in the world and all that is being developed, there is nothing that takes the place of hard work and sacrifice just yet.
It gives everyone a level playing field in life and the chase for self-actualization.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the pursuit of self-actualization is a crucial aspect of personal growth, creativity, and fulfillment in life.
To achieve this, we must focus on our strengths and work to develop our skills and abilities, while also identifying and removing the objects and ideas that hold us back.
It is important to be willing to make sacrifices to achieve our goals and overcome any limitations that may be hindering our progress. While science has yet to provide a clear path to achieving our goals, the importance of hard work and sacrifice cannot be overlooked. We must continue to pursue self-actualization and strive to reach our full potential.
What does self-actualization mean to you?
Do you feel like you have achieved your full potential in life? Why or why not?
What motivates you to pursue personal growth and development?
Have you ever had to make sacrifices in order to achieve your goals? If so, what were they?
Thanks for your contribution to the STEMsocial community. Feel free to join us on discord to get to know the rest of us!
Please consider delegating to the @stemsocial account (85% of the curation rewards are returned).
You may also include @stemsocial as a beneficiary of the rewards of this post to get a stronger support.
Yeah it's sad that, sometimes we put all the blame on people for being lazy, not hardworking enough, or we don't understand why they have all those negative thoughts and low energy, when in fact their system's just not working properly. Like, we can't expect a person with a torn tendon to lift much weight, but we expect everyone to try and be accomplished as if it all depends on them.
True, there are motivational systems in the brain. It is not wholly dependent on our physical state...but we need to seek help when we need it. A torn tendon in the mind is way worst than a regular torn tendon