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It takes a multitude of events and experiences from all areas of your life to satisfy your psychological needs. It is not a coincidence that each person on the Response Comparison listed items that address one or more needs for each of the four selves: (C) career; (P) people; (A) actualization; and (L) leisure.
Self-actualization means more than just achieving personal, corporate, or financial goals. It means feeling that your life is connected to a larger sense of purpose or meaning.
Even though the respondents on the comparison were all ages, occupations, incomes, and interests they all experienced fulfillment when their most human needs were satisfied.
Think about it. You feel good when a need is satisfied. When you are thirsty, drinking cold water feels good and it satisfies a physical need. The same is true of your psychological needs.
Read more about how psychological needs motivate our actions
The relative size of the four selves or parts within the circle are different for everybody and is determined by how much time is devoted to meeting the needs of each self and the amount of fulfillment it provides.
Just like how clothing stores that regularly take inventory to determine which items to keep replenishing and which ones to liquidate, this exercise is your inventory of your own fulfillment. Maximize your joy by doing more of what makes you happy and less of what creates conflict and stress.
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