And then it hit me...
The job of marketers is to convince us we are not self-actualized until we buy (fill in the blank).
As long as we are convinced we need to acquire ___ to become self-actualized (or however we define realizing our full potential), we'll buy what they are offering.
In truth, most of us already have all we need. If we were content with what we've already acquired, we'd be far better off.
I like Will Craig's definition of self-actualization, which I modified a bit to more accurate by my definition:
"Recognizing your gifts and expressing your talents with creative flair." Diving deeper, we are all unique. It's what keeps life interesting. If we were all the same, we'd be more like computer programs, which lack any catalyst for creative sparks that we humans possess. Who we are is the creative expression of our unique life.
There's a school called Singularity University. I'll paraphrase what Larry Page, one of the cofounders asks students, "What are you going to do to change the world, specifically, how are you going to improve the lives of 1 Billion people on the planet."
1 billion people is a tall order. Start with 1 person, yourself. Then 1 more, then 10, then 50, then 100, then 1000, then 10,000, then 100,000, then 1,000,000,000.
Google started because 2 people came together to improve something for themselves. They shared it with others and continued to improve it, adapting to the needs of others... the rest is history and Google is one of the largest companies the world today, and by many considered the most powerful.