by Janelle Legge | Jul 15, 2017 | Self Actualization
One of the stand out traits of successful people is having the self-confidence and self-belief that you can shape your environment so that it supports you and works for you.
Knowing you can influence your environment in positive ways is one of the top self actualizing mindsets that leads to personal fulfilment and career and life success.
You’re also able to better empower others and support their success.
Feeling powerless to change your environment and circumstances comes from your past. It’s usually an indicator that you’re holding onto old beliefs around fear, security and power that you absorbed growing up.
If you’re not feeling satisfied with your life, your work or your environment, then do something to change it.
Self actualizing mindsets and behaviours are key to positive change and feeling capable and confident in the world.
Believe in your potential to grow. Try something new each day.
The fastest way to shift your self image and build self confidence is through real life experiences that empower you and show you what you’re capable of achieving.
by Janelle Legge | Feb 25, 2015 | How To Self Actualize
If you’re not backing yourself and your own ideas then knowing the 7 essential self actualizing mindsets and behaviours is the antidote to living your life according to someone else’s ideas and rules.
It’s the pathway to evolving a style and philosophy that comes from your centre.
Choosing self actualization as a way of life, changes your life.
And if you look at artists, explorers, entrepreneurs, creators – anyone who’s totally rocking it and having a blast living their brand, you’ll find self actualization as one of the top common traits all these people share.
But most of us need regular inspiration and reminders to stay on the self actualization path. And it’s totally doable.
Self actualization is about cultivating attitudes, mindsets and behaviours that let you discover from real experiences what’s personally meaningful for you. What you’re made of. And to create from this.
It’s the pathway to reaching your perceived potential. But you don’t stop there. You keep going way beyond this into infinite possibility.
Here’s how you can get on the self actualizing path, if you’re not already, and stay on it:
7 Essential Self Actualizing Mindsets and Behaviours
1. Be curious
Curiosity coupled with optimism are trade mark qualities of self actualizers. Curiosity creates optimism, openness and excitement. When you’re in these states, you have more energy. You’re more vitalized in a natural and healthy way. It’s curiosity and optimism that keeps self-actualizers going, wanting to forge new paths, explore and test new ideas and see what happens next.
If you’re wondering what curiosity and optimism looks like in action in real life and in business, think Richard Branson, the high-end version of self actualization. If you can model just some of this kind of approach to life, you’re doing well.
2. Grow your potential
Self actualizers LOVE to learn and see personal development as a birth right. They totally get the value of investing in themselves and know they are worth it. They’ve learnt from experience that the more they develop and stretch themselves personally and in their biz/career, the richer and more amazing their life becomes. And everyone around them also benefits.
3. Back your own ideas
Self actualizers have confidence in their own ideas. They’re prepared to back themselves. It’s this kind of self-belief that frees you up to be creative and innovative. It’s not about waiting around for, or relying on, the approval or opinions of other people. Self actualizers believe they have agency in the world and can positively influence their environment and the lives of other people through their ideas and creations.
4. Know and Trust yourself
At the centre of self actualization is being self-aware. Get clear on your values, beliefs and what you want out of life. Self awareness is also about being intuitively tuned into what you’re feeling. It’s seeing your feelings as a live stream of vital clues and information about yourself, other people and situations. Self actualizers know how to decipher and trust their gut-feel on things. And if this is an area where you feel you’re not strong, it’s something that you can learn. It’s about first “looking inward, then moving forward” ~ Rachel Zoe
5. Love yourself
Being self-aware is also about self acceptance and self compassion. And applying the same consideration to other people. It’s about being okay with where you’re at – at any time in your life. Just being you and being in the moment. Self love is also about believing that you’re worthy enough to get your needs met. That you can go out into the world with self belief and confidence and get pretty much whatever it is that you want out of life.
6. Complete Things
Self actualizers know when they need to be disciplined and focused and can stay on task until the job gets done. They also get the value of bringing in the right people and resources. It’s through building a track record of bringing things to completion, that you build self-confidence, self-trust and self-belief. The positive reinforcement you get from each successful completion encourages you to take on bigger and better things in life, knowing you’ve got the goods to make things happen.
7. Live your passions
Self-actualizers are prepared to turn a personal passion into a successful enterprise, or at least give it a go and see what happens next. It’s a stand out quality that sets them apart. Most people don’t follow their passions, for a whole range of stories and beliefs that they have bought into. At a cost. Living your passions is enriching on all levels, because you’re doing and experiencing life through all of your senses. It’s great for building in new neural pathways from having meaningful and vitalizing experiences. When you live this way, you thrive. So start taking your passions more seriously. Optimism and passion are great for your health. They release endorphins and all the feel good chemicals in a beneficial way. Your passions are vital clues as to which pathways will nourish and reward you the most on a mind, body and soul level.
So if you want to feel self confident and start backing yourself and your ideas, self actualization is where it’s at.
“Our self feeling in this world depends entirely on
what we back ourselves to be and do.”
~ William James
by Janelle Legge | Nov 25, 2014 | Living With Purpose
Are you stuck in a mindless default drive of over-doing, running from one bright shiny object to the next, or are you living your life on purpose? There’s a lot of misplaced value these days on DOING and being busy all the time. It’s a seductive trap that disconnects you from your life’s purpose, your easiest pathway to creating a life in which you thrive.
When you’re trapped on the treadmill of busyness, you’re unconsciously buying into values, beliefs, and goals that are not your own. You’re a slave to the outer-directed life. And the more you live this way, the more disempowered, distracted and dissatisfied you’ll become. Deep down you know you deserve better.
If you’re feeling it’s time to reclaim authentic you, set bold goals and access your wealth generating potentials, then there’s a smooth sailing and clear pathway for this.
Purposeful living, having a mission, is your most powerful way of expressing authentic you. Be your own boss. Enrich your life and the world in unimaginable ways. It’s your most clever and lucrative manoeuvre for working your gifts and talents with zen-like focus for maximum reward.
Because when you don’t have purpose, you get swept up into over-doing and comparing yourself to everyone else. Your energy and focus are scattered and everything feels like a struggle. Nothing comes together with synchronicity and ease. Because you’re working against the natural rhythms and cycles of life that support you in manifesting whatever it is that you want.
Finding your purpose and then living it is your most competitive advantage for success. It’s the ultimate inner image for outer success reset. You’re more confident, focused, and disciplined. Purpose fulfilment for the greater good releases self sabotage and self obsessive habits. They’re no longer so seductive and attractive to you. You’ve outgrown them.
If you’re not yet living your life on purpose it’s so worth the journey. It’s your most direct and potent pathway for self-actualizing and sharing your natural strengths and talents with the world.
Image: Caitlin Brown
by Janelle Legge | Dec 4, 2013 | Mindfulness for Success
When you can’t change a situation your challenge, and opportunity for self empowerment and growth, lies in looking at how you can change your thinking. It’s shifting your focus to what you can influence and releasing what you can’t.
It’s about opening up new possibilities and ways of responding. Replacing limbic brain knee jerk reactions and feelings of disempowerment with better insight, strategy, and awareness.
The key to this is deciding to not waste time and energy on people or situations you cannot directly influence. Choosing instead to focus on the areas where you do have influence. Stephen Covey writes about this in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He calls this focusing on the Circle of Influence. And when you apply this principle your focus becomes clear and proactive. You’re instantly re-empowered.
Success oriented people focus their efforts on what they can influence. They also know it’s what keeps them energized, proactive and optimistic, regardless of what life throws at them.
Start focusing on your circles of influence and watch how it changes your life and results in profound ways.
