Abraham Maslow said, “What a man can be, he must be. This need we call self-actualization.” Welcome to The Soul Podcast. I’m Stacey Wheeler.

A few years ago I found myself reflecting on the lives of extraordinary achievers — men like John D. Rockefeller, who rose from modest beginnings to become the richest person of his era, and Howard Hughes, the brilliant industrialist and aviator who built one of the greatest fortunes of his time.

They had conquered every lower level of human need: safety, comfort, admiration, and influence. Yet in their later years, both revealed the same quiet truth — that once those foundational needs are fully met, wealth and external success eventually stop being enough. The soul begins to whisper for something more.

But then there are those who hear that whisper and choose to follow it. Richard Branson comes to mind. He built a global empire, yet has always taught that happiness comes first. He often says, “I am successful, wealthy, and connected because I am happy — not the other way around.” He measures his life by adventure, relationships, contribution, and the freedom to keep growing.

These contrasting stories aren’t about judging wealth. They’re mirrors. They show us what happens when the basics are covered… and still something sacred calls us forward.

Today we’re exploring one of the most exciting spiritual opportunities available to us right now: the journey of self-understanding and self-actualization.

If we look at the world today through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, something beautiful becomes clear. Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who, in the mid-20th century, developed a model of human motivation. He proposed that our needs are arranged like a pyramid. At the base are our most basic survival needs — food, shelter, safety, and belonging. Once those foundational levels are reasonably met, we become free to move upward toward esteem, meaning, purpose, and ultimately self-actualization — becoming the fullest, most authentic version of ourselves. It’s an incredible time to be alive. We’ve been given an extraordinary gift. Yet so many of us don’t fully recognize the precious opportunity this moment in history provides.

With our basic needs met, we’re now free to turn our attention toward the higher realms: meaning, purpose, and self-actualization. These are sacred territories where so many of us still struggle and suffer. Instead of stepping boldly into them, we often feel overwhelmed or lost. The reason? There’s a missing piece — even though we can feel the empty space where it should be.

I’ve touched on this deep human need for meaning and purpose in other episodes. It’s one of the core challenges of our time. So many people are stuck here without even realizing it. They sense something is missing — that hollow, restless feeling — but they don’t know why they feel empty, even when life looks “fine” on the outside. Yet that hollow feeling lingers. Something is missing. But what?

Here’s the beautiful news: the simple act of seeking meaning and purpose is the doorway to the next level of your humanity, your growth, and your spiritual evolution. Seeking meaning naturally leads us toward purpose. And purpose lifts us higher on Maslow’s hierarchy into a richer, more fulfilling life. Importantly, this seeking appears to be a spiritual requirement of being human. Neglecting this spiritual requirement leaves us always wanting more because we sense something missing in our lives. So we try and fill that emptiness. TV, Video games, substances, sex... the list of distractions is endless in a world of plenty. Yet still we feel hollow. 

One of the greatest distractions from this divine invitation is our intense cultural focus on profit, success, and accumulation. We’ve been deeply programmed by a capitalist culture. We're constantly instilled with the idea that our worth is measured by what we earn and what we own. Most of us don’t even realize how thoroughly the pursuit of money shapes our thoughts, our choices, and our sense of self. Slowly and subtly, it pulls our attention away from the sacred and toward a lower vibration — trading soul fulfillment for something far less nourishing.

So here’s the real challenge we all face: How do we gently set aside this conditioning so we can become the greatest, most authentic versions of ourselves? How do we become the ones who help lift all of humanity into a more beautiful, connected, and awakened chapter — the bridge that carries us into this new age?

When we make this shift from seeking to fill the void with excess, to seeking meaning, something profound begins to happen. Our ego softens. We stop measuring our worth by titles, bank accounts, or how we stack up against others. We turn inward and hear the still, small voice that was always there.

Take Timm Chiusano, for example. After two decades climbing the corporate ladder — eventually earning More than half a million dollars a year as a Vice President at Charter Communications — he quit... and act he called “responsibly firing himself.” The hardest part wasn’t the pay cut. It was releasing society’s definition of who he was supposed to be. Once he let go, a deep wave of relief washed over him. Today, as a content creator and speaker known as the “Mister Rogers of Corporate America,” he shares gentle wisdom about kindness, meaning, and navigating toxic workplaces. His identity is no longer tied to status — it’s rooted in being himself and helping others.

Stories like Timm’s show us what this shift looks like in real life. We wake up with quiet anticipation instead of dread. Our days become anchored in something larger than ourselves. Ordinary moments turn sacred. And as we pour energy into what truly fulfills us, we naturally bring more light into the world.

Don’t believe me? Look at the teachers, nurses, engineers, and everyday souls who chose purpose before profit. They prove that when we stop chasing “more” and start chasing meaning, suffering quietly shrinks and beauty floods in.

That is the upgrade we’re being offered right now, friends. With our bellies full and roofs over our heads, humanity has never been closer to the self-actualization level on Maslow’s pyramid. The only real barrier isn’t a lack of resources — it’s the old programming that says more money equals more happiness.

The generation that finally sets that illusion aside won’t just feel better, they will become better — more connected, more creative, more compassionate, and more aligned with the divine spark found within each of them.

And that’s where we go from here. That's the direction. The question is no longer “How do we get more?” It’s “What are we here to give?”

So here’s my gentle invitation to you this week, beautiful soul — a simple but powerful challenge drawn from the work of Viktor Frankl and others who’ve studied meaning:

Try a “Meaning in the Everyday” practice.

Each evening for the next seven days, take just five quiet minutes and reflect on these three gentle questions (you can journal them or simply think them through). No need to pause and write these down. I'll list these in the show notes so you can easily cut and paste them.

1. What did I create, do, or give today — even something small — that felt meaningful? (A kind word, a task well done, something I made or helped with.) 
2. Who or what did I love or truly connect with today — a person, a moment in nature, a piece of music, or a simple act of care? 
3. Where did I notice a small sense of peace or aliveness, even if the day was hard?

Don’t judge what comes up. Just notice. Over the week, you’ll start to see patterns — the activities, relationships, and moments that light you up or give you that sense of “this matters.” Those patterns are clues from your soul. They point toward your unique way of creating meaning and purpose.

You don’t need a grand revelation. The seeking itself fills the hollow space. Start small, stay curious, and watch how life begins to feel richer. Seek meaning. Find purpose. Live a more joyful life. 

Talk to you soon, my friends.