Is there some unique skill present in all self development systems? Something that can be considered key for every creative effort on the way of self transformation? I will try to demonstrate that there is one and it is a quite obvious one.

It is called actualization.

In fact I believe this is the most important skill that you should develop and rely on in your transformational quest. After many systems I have experimented with, at my present level of experience, I can say this is the essence of all self development efforts.

…the essence of all self development efforts…

Let’s see some easy approaches to actualization. To actualize something means to give it actuality, to bring it forward, to bring it to the present time. What you are actualizing is clearly something which wasn’t here, in the field of your actual consciousness. You weren’t aware of it just until now.

…bringing something into the field of attention…

The most simple form of actualization might be remembering. You can bring up something in a discussion, anything that you want to say. Your motifs may be varying for why you are bringing something up. Let’s just focus on the fact that your are bringing something into the field of attention (for yourself and for those you’re talking to) that just wasn’t there before. In its simplest form, remembering is a banality, we always do it: remember to buy milk, remember to reply to e-mails, remember to feed your dog etc. On the other extreme, in its most spiritual form it is called self-remembering. This is not really actualization, it is just an analogy to help you picture what I am talking about.

…act with the actors…

We can also discover actualization in art, most commonly in theatrical art. This is often done by putting in the scene and old play in a way that it looks familiar to the spectators. Thus, giving them a representation into which they are able to project aspects of their lives, making their imagination act with the actors, as insiders in the rolling play or movie.

…reaching one’s fullest potential…

Another well known use of the concept of actualization is used in humanistic psychology. I believe this is quite popular, you might be very much aware of it. It is part of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, called self-actualization. This is defined basically as “reaching one’s fullest potential based upon one’s given circumstances “. This definition relates to a level of fulfilling human needs. I prefer to use it in a different connotation, still this is valid in terms of unfolding the human potential.

In the simple examples given above, the act of remembering and the artistic actualization are fulfilling the ‘bring to the present’ and ‘bring to the field of consciousness’ requirements. To actualize means to bring in the present. Also, to bring in the field of consciousness. It is bringing something in the ‘here and now’. I am always referring to actualization as a skill that you should develop if you are after self transformation.

This skill of actualization comprises several phases. These phases are more or less relative as the actualization is rarely sequential. But theoretically this is possible and helps in understanding the phenomenon.

• The object of actualization (the potentiality)
• Finding a proper ‘canvas’ for it (finding the means)
• Projecting it (realizing)
• Being aware of it (understanding)

Like writing - in our case blogging. At first, you might just feel the need to say something, a need to communicate, nothing more. Then this urge gets the shape of an idea., a few thoughts related by a topic. Then you pick pen and paper, or open up your text editor and start to give a shape to your thoughts. As your words are written down you start to see them organized as a whole around what you wanted to say. When you finished writing, you see how something that was a potentiality became reality.

I know this is an oversimplified example. In some of my next postings, I will give you a few more examples, in more details, strictly applicable in personal development.

You are also welcome to share your thoughts or possible example for actualizations in your life. Or maybe you have other related meanings of this concept that you might consider sharing.

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