Yesterday we learned that Steve Jobs’ final piece of advice to his friends and family was “Actualize Yourself!” What does this mean and how do we do this, really? Self-actualization is at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy and some might suggest that it represents the pinnacle of the Hero’s Journey. Let’s start today with the definition of self-actualization courtesy of Google and Oxford Languages:
Self-actualization: the realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.
Steve Jobs learned to trust his intuition as his core talent and potentiality. This discovery of self-actualization is one of the stops along the path to mastery, if not the destination itself. The great motivational speaker, Jim Rohn says, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job. If you work hard on your job you can make a living. If you work hard on yourself, you can make a fortune.” While a fortune can certainly manifest financially, which is what most people think when they hear that word, it can also mean a spiritual fortune of overflowing joy and fulfillment.
Working on ourselves is a very personal thing that no one else can do for us. Yet in discovering our own talents, we find that being our most authentic selves ultimately becomes the greatest gift we can give to the world. This process happens from the inside out. When we focus our efforts inward, the outer world manifests naturally. With inner clarity and focus, the outer world becomes clear and right action follows. When we experience inner disturbances, our outer behavior becomes misguided and we end up manifesting undesired results and consequences.
According to author and speaker, Brian Tracy, only three percent of people have written goals. Kudos to the three percent who are so intentional about what they want out of life. But I wonder, of that three percent, how many are writing goals for money, cars, houses, fame, weight loss, a better job and a plethora of other external results? What percentage of people are focusing their goal writing inward? What would happen if instead of striving for the material, we work towards achieving an inner state of peace and joy? I suspect that if we did, the material would come as a natural result and when it does, it may not even matter at that point.
Imagine how much potential there is in the world for increased collective peace and joy, if only a few more people were to focus their attention inward and so, to self-actualize. There is much work to do, but fortunately it only takes one person to make this happen. You. If you choose to focus inward to realize your talents and potentialities, I’d like to say thank you for doing your part to save the world.
Photo by Craventure Media on Unsplash
