Mastery of self: Definitions

What does mastery of self actually mean? And how do you achieve a mastery of oneself?

I have asked myself this question many times, and the answer I found is that it is different for everybody. There are certain guidelines we can follow to achieve mastery, but the what and the how are two completely different questions with two times a billion amount of answers. I have hence created a summary of my own definitions of mastery of self:

My own definition of mastery of self (from many a wonder of thoughts) is finding your inner calling to life, and then following through with it. I believe that once you acknowledge your life-calling, you begin to follow a light that will lead you to your own mastery of self.

According to the Bible we find our inner calling thorughout life as we open doors to opportunities God opens up for us. God opened up the door for us to move from Australia to Finland, but the catch here is that He likes to wait to tell us the rest of our master plan for life.

While according to the book "The Concise Mastery" by Robert Greene, your calling for life is within you from birth and one just has to find out what it is exactly. As life inevitably moves forward towards becoming adults you will, most of the time, lose sight of your calling as life drifts on. In this way your mastery comes from within you, rather like the Bible shows us.

However, the difference between psychology and religion is that the Bible shows how God knows the plan for our life, and psychology shows us how we have to discover it ourselves.

One thing though that I think both things share is that it will not be easy to discover our mastery of self. Either way we will be have to be patient and happy, otherwise fear will catch up with us and we will never find our mastery of self.

The 'path' to mastery is not easy, like walking through thorns.

Through my life in primary and upper secondary school I have found that studying is like walking through a tunnel of thorns. One day I realise I am horrible at essay writing, and the next I find I am horrible at studying for exams. However, one thing I have learnt from these trials and tribulations is that once you study one thing over and over, or edit essays again and again, you improve.

In this way, where there have been failures successes have always followed. Many times the thorns of life may bring you down, and you will most probably be able to rise up again, but don't let them bring you down. God says that He is the light of the world, and He has come to save our sins. Since He is the light of the world, without Him there will be no light, and I don't know how anyone can survive like that.

So remember to always be glad with what life throws at you, and take the bad with the good.

Have a truly wonderful New Year week, and please share your thoughts on mastery of self in the comments section below.

Laura

xoxo