What happens when I get to the top of the pyramid?
The top of what pyramid? You might be thinking. Well, if you've read my earlier posts, I mentioned Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (see image below).
This shows the list of needs we all have as humans, from our basic physical need for food, shelter, and security - all the way up to emotional and social needs like connection to others, intimacy and self-esteem.
What this post is all about it that top layer of the pyramid. The "Self-Actualisation" and what this really means. Maslow describes it as "becoming the most one can be". Which can seem really vague. But essentially, this is realising your full potential in life.
Do you feel you are wasted in a low end job and could strive to do more? Are you someone who feels like you could contribute more to the world, or someone else's world, or even just your own? Investing that time into yourself can be one of the best things you do. But it can be perceived as selfishness when that isn't necessarily the case.
How can you be that person someone relies on if you can't help yourself first? It's like the typical analogy: if you're on a flight and you're crashing, you put your oxygen mask on first. Why? Because if you can't breathe, how can you help others to?
This can be very much said for our own needs in life. If these aren't met, at least in part, how can we support others and help them find a way to meet their needs?
Going back to the trusty pyramid, it's said it isn't linear. Which needs aren't. They're all over the place, they're messy! One day we feel happy with the relationships/connections we have and the next, it feels like a gap needs to be filled.
Sometimes, we just need to re-evaluate to see where those needs lie now compared to before, and what can be done to help.
So, circling back around (because who likes to arrive straight at the point really?) Self-Actualisation is about trying to reach for the most we can get out of ourselves, and life. It's not always achieved, and it's certainly not static or permanent. Nothing in life is! But we know what we're aiming for.
