Does a person need to accomplish something significant or different to transcend themselves? According to some, it might be necessary, while for others, what one does could be determinative. But how can the feeling of transcending oneself be satisfyingly experienced? A question open to endless interpretation...
When a football player scores many goals in a match, they feel a sense of great success, intoxicated with hormones and influenced by the fans. However, if the same performance is not repeated in the following matches, a monotonous mood may prevail. Here, one might ask whether the feeling of transcending oneself occurs by surpassing a certain threshold in a short time. In other words, the same football player may not feel that they have transcended themselves, even if they have scored more goals over a more extended period in a season. Similarly, a soldier who has served successfully for many years may feel this sensation only when achieving success under abnormal conditions in a short period. It seems that the feeling of transcending oneself is directly related to the reached outcome, time, and expectations. Perhaps this is also somewhat related to our physiological characteristics, i.e., the interaction of stimuli with neurons and the triggering of hormones.
Understanding that transcending oneself is not related to the amount of money, title, rank, or what others think, realizing that it is the result of an internal accumulation, and acknowledging that its form varies from person to person are crucial for motivation.
Rather than living in a constant state of unhappiness while chasing continuous success, transcending oneself with something simple and meaningful is much better; it is the real quality derived from life. Let go of external dependencies and turn inward to discover what will truly lead you to transcend yourself.
Dr. Bilinç Dolmacı
