Steve Irwin and Self-Actualization

In the last couple of weeks millions upon millions of people around the world have been stunned at the untimely early death of Australia’s crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin. I was in Sydney when the news of his death came and the very night I returned to Colorado, I sat and watched the entire Memorial Service at the Australia Zoo, a most emotionally moving memorial— one viewed by over 300,000 people!

One camera shot was replayed several times that I really loved. I had seen it before, but it was only after Michelle Duval said, “Now that’s an example of self-actualization, don’t you think?” that the scene took on new meaning for me. The scene was of an interview where Steve was talking about wildlife and conversation.

“This is my purpose!” he said in his uniquely passionate way raising his voice and gesturing with his hands. “This is my job, my mission — the reason I was put on this planet was to save wildlife!”

In reflecting on that passionate explanation as to why he did what he did, I realized that in terms of the two key variables in self-actualizing, meaning and performance, Steve Irwin provides us a great example of the self-actualizing process.

After all, here was a man who early in life discovered his passion and then devoted his life to following that passion. Somewhere and somehow he discovered along with his love for, that he had a natural talent and an uncunning sense of animals, how they feel, how to work with them. I’m sure he picked up a good bit of that from his dad, Bob Irwin, who was himself a conservationist and had created the Queensland Reptile Part which Steve later transformed into the Australia Zoo. As Steve gave this more and more meaning, spending time in the outback and learning how to deal with crocodiles he became increasingly skilled. In all of this, he transformed the richness of his vision and understandings into his competency in working with animals.

Eventually this led to him recording himself out in the wilds capturing a crocodile and with that he discovered yet another natural talent, communicating his enthusiasm about working with wild animals. And that, of course, opened up yet more opportunities, opportunities for doing documentaries and then television interviews. And with success and recognition came money and tremendous publicity and in all of that, he continued to translated his vision into effective performance as he created the Zoo and brought up thousands of acres of outback for conservation.

And in actualizing his talents and meanings, he created his own unique way of being passionate about life, being authentic (“true blue”) to what mattered to him — his wife and children, his animals, and his leadership in fighting for conservation. The testimony of all who knew him speak of these things, especially his authenticity, that what you see is what you get. That it wasn’t about him, his ego, it was about the vision, the meanings, the performances.

And if you’ve ever seen Steve in his documentaries, commercials, or interviews, you have seen and heard a passionate man—a man totally in love with life, with animals, with what he was engaged in. Did he experience the “flow” state? Did he step into a genius state of total engagement and focus? Did he have control over being totally present in his engagements? From everything that I have seen, it all indicates that yes he did.

And did he fully enjoy and delight himself in those genius states of focus? The glow of his face, the sparkle in his eye, the excitement in his voice, his gestures, etc. all speak of that. And that, of course, is the feel of self-actualization, the inherent happiness of living your potentials and of actualizing your best.

Self-Actualization is living your life true to yourself—to your gifts, talents, loves, passions, and opportunities. Who would have thought that a young boy loving to hike in the brush and wrestle with crocodiles and wanting to save wildlife would have over a short 44 years create such a world-wide influence? At the memorial, Prime Minister of Australia John Howard described Steve Irwin as a great Australia ambassador. And actor Russell Crowe, a mate of Steve’s, commenting on the world-wide response, said, “How many Zoo keepers can claim that?”

Steve’s objective was not to be a hero to 500 million people around the world, it was just to follow his passion of saving wildlife. And that’s a great example of what living in the being- needs (Maslow) and simply expressing your passions can do. Here’s to Steve Irwin’s memory and model.