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Imagine being the best you. Self-actualization means becoming your true self, and many people who have achieved this enjoy an appreciation of life’s beauty, feeling a sense of calm, oneness, and connection. This can be within your reach by cultivating a certain mindset.
The term self-actualization was popularized in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as the highest level of self-development, as seen in Simply Psychology. After the basic bodily needs of food, shelter and security are met and ego needs achieved, there is potential for becoming fully realized.
This path is as individual as you are. By nurturing these five tips, you can fashion a path that embraces your full potential. Simply keep in mind that life is about constant growth and as it is a process, there is no end goal. This path has ups and downs, yet it can be a beautiful, light-filled journey.
Be accepting
Being accepting is key to staying on the path of personal growth. When you stop yourself from thinking in black and white, you will be more accepting of new ideas, according to Psychology Today. Once you have embraced this mindset, you will see the world differently and will be more open to creativity.
Practicing acceptance also means embracing the good with the bad, according to Healthline. This enables you to live in the present, as opposed to placing your mind in the past, wishing things had turned out differently. This also includes accepting the unknown, as well as those people in your life who you find to be unkind. Refraining from judging others is also liberating, and keeps you calm and centered.
Live authentically
Find out what you want to achieve, and do not be influenced by what others expect from you. Parents, teachers, society, and social media create external pressure and can steer you from your true path, according to the Huffington Post. Self-actualized people are not influenced by what others think.
Accept and embrace who you are. Remember to focus on your strengths, while also understanding your limitations, suggests Healthline. Ideally, you want to live a life that best uses your strengths.
Make time for me
Self-actualized people value solitude. They enjoy being alone and like their own company. Make alone time and develop the skill of feeling at peace with yourself. Take yourself on a walk, meditate, listen to your favorite song, or journal.
Solitude can also assist you in becoming more independent. It will encourage you to let go of negative external influences that may block you from connecting with your true potential.
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Practice compassion
Self-actualized people have a deeper mission in life which is often connected to helping others, according to Healthline. Psychotherapist Alfred Adler called this Gemeinschaftsgefühl, which means “social feeling.”
Everyone’s mission is unique and there are an infinite number of ways to express your compassion. You could start volunteering, use one of your interests to help improve your local community, or use fewer resources to decrease your ecological footprint.
Live spontaneously
A self-actualizer lives in the moment and is open to new experiences. Nurture this by trying to enjoy life’s small, precious moments when they happen, according to Healthline.
Leave behind any worries about what you should be doing and instead, focus on what you are doing. Literally, wake up and smell the roses by focusing on the deep shade of the petals and slowly inhaling its perfume. Life is filled with such beautiful, mindful moments. Reconnect with them as if you were a child, then be uninhibited and have fun. Just because!
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