Abraham Maslow brought us great clarity and insight with his paper from 1943, A Theory of Human Motivation. You’ve probably seen his pyramid of needs hundreds of times.
Each step of the pyramid asks a question on its way to the top. 1) What’s for dinner? 2) Where will I sleep? 3) Who am I connected to? 4) How do I feel emotionally? 5) Who am I? What is my purpose? What is my story? What is my music I was sent here to make?
A name is simply an exterior label that distinguishes us from another and you’ll probably never need a reminder of what your name is. But you may need constant reminders of what it truly means to be you – the soul, the story, and the music beneath the named skin. These were the subsurface needs of humanity that Maslow was arguing for atop his pyramid and therein lay the pathway to self-actualization.
Honesty serves as reminder. Don’t kid yourself.
Independence serves as a reminder. Draw a map, don’t use a map.
Awareness serves as a reminder. Get birds-eye above your moments, minutes, hours, and days.
Objectivity serves as a reminder. An open mind leads to impartiality.
Context serves as a reminder. Fill the shoes for your role in the grand story unfolding.
Originality serves as a reminder. Keep it fresh.
Creativity serves as a reminder. In the words of Einstein, “your imagination is a preview of life’s coming attractions.”
Solitude serves as a reminder. The Noise is tag team champion of the world with the Resistance.
Wonder serves as a reminder. We know what is. Bring us what could be.
Whatever it is that reminds you of what it means to be you, just know that if it’s true, the truth will set you free and the view is better from the top.