Summary: Why do you read personal growth materials or purchase personal growth products? If you are typical, there is something in your life you would like to improve. Most people interested in personal growth programs would like to “get better” in some way. The meaning of “getting better” varies from person to person, but it can include relieving suffering, getting over various fears, taking action when we feel fear, stopping compulsive behavior, improving relationships, eliminating the barriers to making and saving money, stopping the negative self talk, etc. Most of the people in the world are trying to get better in some way. (http://www.mortylefkoe.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-Hierarchy-Of-Needs-Pyramid-M-14588501-297x300.jpg)But what happens once we’ve eliminated the beliefs and conditionings that cause most of our behavioral and emotional problems? What happens once we’ve stopped giving meaning to most of the moment-to-moment meanings we unconsciously create? Once we stop seeking to get better, what’s next? Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, identified what he described as a hierarchy of needs. He said that needs must be satisfied in the given order. Levels 1 through 4 are deficiency motivators, in other words, there is something missing that must be attained; we want to get better. Level 5 is a growth motivator; it is about self-actualization. Maslow's hierarchy of needs 1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc. 2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc. 3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc. 4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc. 5. Self-Actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking peak experiences. Maslow argued and I agree fully that you have to progress through these five or from level three to level five. Moreover, at any given level the higher levels levels in order. In other words, you can’t skip from level one to level three or four, are not fully real to you. But once you’ve satisfied your needs at any given level the next level becomes real. And once you’ve satisfied all your deficiency needs, you are ready to self-actualize. Unfortunately, tens of millions of people still exist at levels one and two, still trying to meet survival needs. My experience with literally thousands of people has demonstrated that eliminating beliefs and conditionings can move people upward through levels three and four. Moreover, hundreds of people who have learned to stop giving meaning to daily events report that they experience some of the characteristics of self-actualization. A website devoted to Maslow’s work (http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm (http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm)) presents a list of self-actualizing characteristics. Maslow's self-actualizing characteristics * keen sense of reality - aware of real situations - objective judgment, rather than subjective * see problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring solutions, rather than see problems as personal complaints or excuses * need for privacy and comfortable being alone * reliant on own experiences and judgment - independent - not reliant on culture and environment to form opinions and views * not susceptible to social pressures - non-conformist * democratic, fair and non-discriminating - embracing and enjoying all cultures, races and individual styles * socially compassionate - possessing humanity * accepting others as they are and not trying to change people * comfortable with oneself - despite any unconventional tendencies * a few close intimate friends rather than many surface relationships * sense of humor directed at oneself or the human condition, rather than at the expense of others
