Psychology & Bathroom Walls

“I just want to live a life worth living”

Now, after reading this phrase, you are probably thinking to yourself, “dang Ava, you must have gotten that quote from a wise author or some artsy poet”. Unfortunately, you are mistaken. In reality, I discovered these words in a much less glamorous, less aesthetic place: on the wall of the Hartland High School second floor bathroom. Now, as I embarked on my daily trip to take my “outfit of the day” mirror picture instead of writing my AP European History essay (sorry mom, senioritis), I was not expecting to be struck with such a simple, yet relatable concept. I’m sure when whoever wrote this was holding the sharpie in their hand, they didn’t expect their act of rebellion to inspire some random girl’s blog post, but shout out to them anyway! Call me crazy (no seriously, it’s okay), but I decided to snap a picture of this enlightening piece of literary art (I so wish you could pick up sarcasm through a computer screen). Of course, leave it to me to ponder a simple string of words until the spark in my mind combusts to start an entire forest fire of thoughts that can only be tamed by making sense of them through writing. So here I go…

This phrase could be interpreted in a plethora of ways, varying from person to person. For me, one primary notion pops into my mind: Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, specifically the stage of “self actualization”. For those who are not familiar with this theory, it is a pyramid of the different categories of human necessity, entailing the following: physiological, security, love and belongingness, esteem, and finally, self actualization. Each lower group of needs must be fulfilled before one can move on to the next level of the pyramid. In 1970, Maslow stated that only 2% of people will ever reach self actualization in their lifetime, which to me is rather disheartening. Who is Abraham Maslow to tell me that I will most likely not reach my fullest potential in life? How does one even measure this? If you ask me, I believe it’s very subjective. To me, reaching my fullest potential or, in the words of some defiant freshman (educated guess), “living a life worth living” is defined by the number of lives which I will impact in my lifetime and the stories of which I will become a part. To you reading this, it could mean something completely different. Whether living a life worth living means something as simple as complimenting a stranger, or as complex as curing cancer, the sky's the limit for you, so don’t let the theory of some famous psychologist discourage you from being ambitious and chasing your dreams.

While reflecting on the first 18 years of my life, I often find myself wondering if I am on the right track to reaching my fullest potential. To me, there is no textbook criteria that has to be met in order for a person to deem themself successful in this nature. The beauty of psychology in my opinion, lies in the fact that it is the interpretation of the way the brain interprets (I promise it is not as complicated as it sounds). Therefore, you are free to make sense of these theories in whichever way your heart desires, since everyone’s perspective is different. The truth is, I believe a person’s definition of self actualization evolves as they move through different stages in their lives. For example, once I have reached the goals which I’ve set for high school, I have reached my fullest potential for this point in my life. Then, as I gain new inspiration from the world around me, I fix my eyes on new aspirations and strive to achieve them. This is a thought which I will store in the back of my mind, taking it into consideration with every detail that is filtered through my retinas as I experience the new chapter of growth which this coming year will bring.

I hope this made you think deeply, because lord knows it was like word salad (another psych reference hehe) jumbling around in my mind until I could document it in a compilation of legible sentences.

Have a blessed day and thank you for taking the time to read.

-Ava Jean :)