Self Actualization

This term, I believe, is something that takes almost a full lifetime to understand. I think self actualization is a process and determining where you are on that process is the most important step to reaching your goal.
I've often heard that you have to know where you are starting from to get where you want to go. I really believe this to be a true statement. I also believe it is the unexpected life challenges that determine your path toward self actualization.
In facing these challenges you decide, then and there, what kind of person you will become. If life was consistently an easy path- it would be hard to develop personal character.
I know that my biggest personal growth has come from some extremely difficult situations. From the moment I moved 13 hours away from home, I grew some strength. But the move was just the first step. Three months after we got here my husband deployed to Iraq. It was less than a year after he was home that he left for Iraq a second time. It was this loneliness that challenged me to see just what kind of inner strength I had. During this time, I started training for a half marathon and then a full marathon. This led to a whole other kind of inner strength. It seems once you find a challenge and come to peace with it, another challenge presents itself.
This process is my journey toward self actualization. Facing challenges, struggling and then meeting or exceeding through these challenges, and becoming hungry for more is what keeps me moving in the right direction.
Andrea Hayes