Actualizing with the self

August 29th, 2006 // 7:35 am @ Tanmay // 7 Comments

When I was a student and a budding writer, I had an opportunity to communicate with an eminent educationalist, thinker and writer Dr. Gunvant Shah. On a question I asked “How can one be like you”, here is his response which has been one of the most significant learnings in past few years.

Please know that when you face God after you die, God will not ask “Why did not you be a great leader like XYZ?” God will ask “Why did not you be yourself?” Everybody in this world has “something” which is unique to themselves. It is very important to identify that “something” and be one with your strengths. It is this “something” that makes you come alive and Abraham Maslow defines this as “self actualization”. The “other” person is completely useless in this context and hence someone has rightly said “Your hell is the other person”. Your real achievement in life would be to be one with your inherent strengths within. Can someone else die instead of you? Similarly someone else cannot live for you. So, if someone tries to be like me, it would be a suicide - death of one’s own strengths.

Self Actualization is the highest level of human development and Abraham Maslow defines it like this: “Self Actualization is the intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more accurately, of what the organism is”

We all have some strengths wired in our DNA – things that come naturally to us. Knowing these strengths is the key. Some of the most successful people who have walked this earth have been the ones who have known and played their strengths. I just came across a beautiful post on Life 2.0 titled “Finding our niche” which includes a quote by Harold Whitman:

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.”

I would like to leave you with two questions. Are you actualized with yourself? Are you playing your strengths?

Category : Random Musings

7 Comments → “Actualizing with the self”

Great Quote: Vincent Van Gogh on Profession and Passion « QAspire

4 years ago

[...] Check out by earlier blog posts on similar topics : Great Quotes: Work and Play, Follow your Energies, Passion Power, Actualizing with the self [...]

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QAspire Blog - Quality, Management, Leadership & Life! » On Being Yourself - Great Article by Steve Yastrow

3 years ago

[...] best advice I ever received in my life was – “Be yourself”. We are born with some inherent capabilities wired in our DNA. [...]

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Kaushik Chauhan

3 years ago

Hey Tanmay,

This blog post is really excellent. I truly appreciate it and the manner in which you have presented the content.

Best regards,

Kaushik
.-= Kaushik Chauhan´s last blog ..Loud Thinking! =-.

Reply
Tanmay

3 years ago

Thanks for stopping by and commenting Kaushik. Happy blogging!

Regards,
Tanmay

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Ruchir Patel

3 years ago

hi Tanmay, I am really enjoying and learning a lot by reading your blogs and articles. I wish to speak with you soon when you are free.

Regards,
Ruchir

Reply
- admin
  
  3 years ago
  
  Hi Ruchir -
  
  Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I am glad you like the thoughts expressed on this blog. Let us speak soon.
  
  Regards,
  Tanmay
  
  Reply
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2 years ago

[...] Actualizing with the self – Great Quotes: Work and Play – Follow your Energies – Passion Power var addthis_pub = 'qaspire'; [...]

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