When readers of “Surviving Sue” ask about my courage and fortitude to write about my mom and my complicated life with her, I smile and share that I received plenty of support from allies and mentors along the way and choosing a career as a licensed counselor solidified my belief in the power of personal development, recovery and growth.
When readers ask for a little more, I sometimes share the name of a theorist or a concept that inspired. Abraham Maslow was one of those people…and not just because of his well-known contribution, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. (Side note: I’m in the camp hoping for a refresh to address the predominant individualistic and Western cultural perspectives inherent in the hierarchy).
Maslow’s work as a pioneer in Humanistic Psychology provided the grounding I needed as a young psychology student who wanted to pursue a career in the helping professions.
Not a single day in my life goes by without a moment of homage to Maslow, a man I never met and yet his transformational work is embedded in nearly all facets of positive psychology and the self-actualizing methods which surround us in 2024.
Advice from Maslow continues to provide momentum and propulsion, decades after I read these words for the first time:
In any given moment, we have two options: To step forward into growth, or to step back into safety. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
-Abraham Maslow
Am I done yet, I sometimes wonder?
Have I rewound the tape, examined the replay sufficiently to release the feelings? Feelings that aren’t quite regret but reside within just the same.
Taking up space, unwilling to vacate.
Remembering that opportunities for growth exist on the same continuum as fear is empowering. And affirmation-worthy.
Today…I choose growth.
Other Inspirations? About courage, mentorship and being our best? I’m happy to share…three favorite posts about people and ideas which sustain me:
Two Treasured Calls – Victoria Ponders
Characteristics of Courage – Victoria Ponders
Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Mentoring Matters – Victoria Ponders
Oh – and this! Check out this link to learn more about my book, “Surviving Sue”.
Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press
Vicki 😊
Victoria Ponders 
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