What Happens When You Move Beyond Yourself—Even Your Highest Self

Lots of us use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a quick reference point, especially when we talk about trade-offs:

“I can earn less right now because my basic needs are met— what I really want is to publish this book that will position me as an authority in my space.”

Or…

“I’m ready to slow down my business treadmill because I have “enough”. What’s really important is this idea I have to __________(insert something you’ve been hankering to do, but didn’t have the bandwidth to address).”

The idea of the pyramid is to keep moving upward until we top out at self-actualization where we become the most authentic version of ourselves.

The thing is, even Maslow himself realized something was missing. Near the very end of his life, he decided to add one new level to the peak of the pyramid: self-transcendence.

His belief was that our final evolution as human beings is to transcend our self-centered needs. To undertake a mission or calling that makes a contribution—that makes the world just a little better than how we found it.

It’s the belief that as we ascend up the pyramid—having our at least basic needs covered, feeling safe, having love and a sense of belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization—we still feel hunger for something bigger than ourselves.

If you pay attention, you’ll hear this desire in some of the people you follow or enjoy IRL. They kinda can’t help it—and there’s something magnetic about them that pulls the right people closer.

Not everyone gets to climb the full pyramid—maybe because of life circumstances, perhaps from personal choice.

But for those of us who decide we want to give it a go, it can be vital fuel to keep going when times get challenging.

It offers a horizon that we can keep aiming for and a dream for others that serves as essential energy as we move forward.

I’ll have more to say on navigating this transition in January.

In the meantime, wishing you and yours happy holidays and a healthy, prosperous, generous New Year.