Is Self-Mastery the Key to your Happiness? ? No Ordinary Moments

?He who controls others?may be?powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still?.

- Lao Tsu

Firstly?just about my week so far. It?s been?er?interesting.? Just when you think you might have things worked out, and that you have ?happiness? in the bag, something comes along and tries to snatch the bag!

It?s taken a while to realise that?I have no control over shit happening, and regardless of the height of the pile of shit, it?s not ever going to go away.? It?s also taken a while to realise that my response to shit happening is less than desirable and I still have much improvement to make on that front.

And the ?aha? realisation of the week?sometimes how we think our communication is being received isn?t always in the manner and spirit intended, regardless of how sincere we think we are in?its? method of delivery.

So how have I been dealing with it?? After the initial shock, ?confusion and bewilderment, came deep sadness, alot of tears and an overwhelming sense of grief ? like I had lost someone close to me and my heart had been ripped open.

Sometimes, in spite of our most sincerest efforts, we can?t control how others perceive what we are trying to say.? Upon further reflection there was still sadness, but in the end there was acceptance.

Perception is such a personal thing and it?s interesting to observe how much?our attitude and mindset?towards life affects it, whether it?s positive or negative.?Communication or events?can be perceived completely differently by two different people, depending on their belief systems, experiences, and most importantly, on their mindset.

So I worked out the hard way that depending on the person you?re communicating to, you may have to change your method of delivery for the message to be received in the manner in which you intended for it to be received, and for it to convey?its? sincerity and true meaning.

In a nutshell ? it?s not necessarily?what you say but how you say it,?that can make the difference?between being understood or not.

So what does this have to do with Self-Mastery?

Alot actually.

The only thing we can control are our thoughts.?

Have you noticed though, how much our thoughts control us?? If we can control our thoughts, we can control? what comes out of our mouths, as well as what we say to ourselves.? Improve?our spoken words and actions, through controlling our thoughts ? watching them, letting them go, and replacing chaotic thoughts with flowing, tempered and calm ones.

Calmness replaces confusion and we begin to turn inward and observe more, talk less.? We put out?the fire of negative thoughts and emotions and begin to operate from a place of positivity, self-belief, acceptance and compassion.

Instead of always seeking from without, why?not try seeking from within? ?It?s so easy to have an opinion when our eyes, mind and heart are always focusing on others and we are? constantly exposing ourselves to?chaotic, external stimuli?that?contributes little to our own personal development. ?But what if we focused on ourselves?? Not in a self-obsessed way.? In a way where we are working on ourselves, from the inside, out.

We focus so much on the physical, which is important, but how many of us focus on?our mental development?? From this alone, we can empower ourselves to change other facets of ourselves ? our emotional and spiritual, as well as physical components of our being.? The flow-on effect can be life changing.

Through self-control and self-mastery we can?become a better version of who we?already are and we can influence our lives to?such a profound degree, we can achieve anything we set ourselves to do.? And we must remember that through self-mastery we should also strive to develop not only our hearts and minds, but our character.

Maybe, if we have self-mastery we can have self-belief and then what is there to stop us from achieving whatever we want in life?? Through our self-belief there is nothing that has power over us, because we have power over ourselves.

Regardless of the external chaos that surrounds us and allowing it to control us, maybe we can reach within and operate from that calm, centred and peaceful place.

Then, and only then?when we can master ourselves and continually strive to reach our full potential?can we even begin to lead others, in order?to be able to truly help them to reach their full potential.

Help ourselves, and then, help others.? Aren?t we happiest when we can genuinely help another person?? And when we help that person and operate from a position of strength, even better.

And could the ultimate reward?of self-mastery be happiness?

That?s what I?m willing to find out.

Tags: Lao Tzu, Quotes, Self-Mastery

Source: http://kerryfitandfabafter40.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/is-self-mastery-the-key-to-your-happiness/

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