Thursday, December 8, 2011

What does a "maximized life" mean to you?

A maximized life means something different for everyone.
It is often associated with more; more money, family, health, time, friends, fun, or rest. It can also mean having less; less stress, fear, guilt, and anger. We are all motivated differently. You might desire a sense of accomplishment. Maybe you are just naturally driven to achieve. Perhaps you are tired of being stuck in your current situation and visualize something better. In order to improve, we need an impetus to change. I have twins, a boy and a girl, under two years old. I want to be the best example I can for them. I don't expect to be perfect, but I want to demonstrate the values that are important to me. For this reason, I want to maximize my own life.

Much of the self improvement information used today is based on the principals of Abraham Maslow's, Theory of Human Motivation.

[“What a man can be, he must be.” This forms the basis of the perceived need for self-actualization. This level of need pertains to what a person's full potential is and realizing that potential. Maslow describes this desire as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming. This is a broad definition of the need for self-actualization, but when applied to individuals the need is specific. For example one individual may have the strong desire to become an ideal parent, in another it may be expressed athletically, and in another it may be expressed in painting, pictures, or inventions. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with the largest and most fundamental levels of needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top. The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "d-needs": esteem , friendship and love, security, and physical needs. With the exception of the most fundamental (physiological) needs, if these "deficiency needs" are not met, the body gives no physical indication but the individual feels anxious and tense. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs.

Maslow also coined the term Metamotivation to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment. Metamotivated people are driven by B-needs (Being Needs), instead of deficiency needs (D-Needs).]*


It seems fair to say that you are a metamotivated person. You have made choices to allow yourself the opportunity to self actualize. You want to be all you can be. That is why you are here.

There are two measurements of one's success, "quality" and "quantity".
Is it better to have a lot of acquaintances or a few very good friends?
Would you rather have plenty of time to waste or well used quality time?
Do you measure your success by how much you have or the quality of your life?



"The quality of life is determined by it's activities." - Aristotle