SELF ACTUALIZATION - What does it mean?

SELF ACTUALIZATION – WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Philosophical Ramblings of a Retired Mind

By

VIKRAM KARVE

(An abridged and updated version of my article I DO NOT HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE written last year, in July 2013)

I DO NOT HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE

“The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond is my favourite Love Story.

It is a simple story of inchoate and unrequited love, which happens to all of us.

An eighteen year old boy meets a girl at a quaint railway station called Deoli where the train halts for a few minutes.

It is love at first sight.

On the return journey after his vacation, the boy eagerly searches for the girl the moment the train reaches Deoli.

He is delighted to see her on the platform.

They look at each other.

They spend ethereal moments of unspoken love, they delicately hold hands.

Suddenly the guard blows his whistle and the train starts moving.

“I have to go to Delhi,” the boy says.

The girl replies, “I do not have to go anywhere.”

This is exactly what I said to myself this morning during my walk in the lush green park on the banks of the Mula River – “I do not have to go anywhere.”  

I feel that I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve,.

I have accomplished whatever I wanted to accomplish in life.

I have done whatever I wanted to do.

Now, I am satisfied with life, I am happy and content where I am, and, I can say to myself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

SELF ACTUALIZATION

You must have heard of the term: “Self-Actualization”.

I first came across this term in the 1970’s when I read about Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs while studying the management module during my engineering course.

The Hierarchy of Needs has 5 levels of Human Needs:

1. Physiological

2. Safety and Security 

3. Love and Belonging 

4. Esteem 

5. Self-Actualization

For many years I wondered what self-actualization meant.

Now I realize what self-actualization means.

You have reached the stage of self-actualization when you can say to yourself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

You have realized your full potential and what you can be, you have become.

You are living the life you always wanted to live.

You have reached where you wanted to reach and now you do not have to go anywhere.

Have you reached this stage of supreme satisfaction in life?

Are you are happy wherever you are?

Are you content with what you have?

Can you say to yourself: “I have reached where I wanted to reach and now I do not have to go anywhere” ?

Self Actualization is a great feeling.

You can take my word for it.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

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