The Art of Personal Mastery

Are you tired of feeling like life is happening to you instead of taking control of it yourself?

Do you ever wonder how some people seem to always be under control and influence the outcome of most situations, effortlessly achieve their goals, and lead fulfilling lives? The answer lies in Personal Mastery.

But what does that term mean? Why is it so important? In this article, we'll delve into the four elements of this art called personal mastery.

What is Personal Mastery?

Personal mastery is a term that has gained significant attention in recent years. At its core, personal mastery means being able to master your inner dynamics and your life. It's being able to master one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, personal mastery has become more important than ever. It allows individuals to take control of their lives, achieve their goals, and lead a life of fulfillment, authenticity, and well-being.

“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.” - Leonardo da Vinci

The four elements of personal mastery

There are four things, in my experience, that you need to know and fully believe if you want to become your own master. These four things are what I teach my clients and students to unleash the power that has always been there, waiting for them to access and use it. They are Self-wisdom, Self-responsibility, Self-awareness, and Self-regulation.

You have probably noticed they all start with the word “self”. That is because personal mastery, success, happiness, fulfillment, and well-being, ultimately all depend on you. Let’s see what these four elements entail.

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Self-wisdom

The first element of Personal Mastery is Self-wisdom.

It is knowing and understanding the dynamics between life out there (your environment) and your inner world (what you think, feel, and do).

Ask yourself this question: Why is your life the way it is? What determines your life’s circumstances?

At some point in your past, there were things you did and things you didn’t do that have brought you right where you are today. So, at the end of the day, what you Do determines the Environment you create—your life’s circumstances.

“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. They are the ground on which I stand.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

So, if what we do is that important, why is it that we do certain things and not others? In other words, what capacitates us or empowers us to do what’s necessary to change our environment? It is our feelings—our emotional states—that determine why we do certain things and not others.

Now, if our feelings determine whether or not we take the necessary action to change our lives, what creates our feelings then? Our beliefs, values and thoughts—our mindset—is what determines the feelings that empower (or disempower) us to take control of our lives.

“The thoughts you think create your feelings and emotions. They are the Key factor in what you say and do. The entire quality of your life is dependent on the thoughts you choose to focus on.” - Zelig Pliskin

What that means is that the key to mastering our feelings, actions and environment… is our mind!

Self-responsibility

The second element of Personal Mastery is Self-responsibility.

Being responsible means being able to respond, on your own. Oxford dictionary goes further and defines it as “having a duty to deal with something, or of having control over it.” Another word for it is accountability. Self-responsibility means, then, taking full responsibility for yourself. It means not blaming others or the world for how your life is, what you do, how you react, your feelings, and your thoughts.

“Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.” - Swami Vivekananda

The moment you take full responsibility for your own life, you can stop blaming the world or others for what happens in your life. This, in turn, empowers you to choose how you want to interpret the things that happen around you, how to feel, and what to do about them. That will determine whether your environment improves, stays the same, or if it gets worse.

If instead, you don’t take full self-responsibility, you give your power away to others. You make them able to determine how you feel and respond. You have put them in control of your life. Is that what you want? I didn’t think so either.

Self-awareness

The third element of Personal Mastery is Self-awareness.

By now, you know that your mind determines how you feel, what you do, and therefore your life circumstances and that by taking full responsibility for how your mind works, you can now practice self-mastery and take control of your life.

Have you ever tried to control your mind? It’s not that easy, is it?

That’s because there is one missing piece to the puzzle of life-self dynamics, and that is Awareness. Most of our mental processes are subconscious, meaning that we are not aware of them or of the beliefs that we hold as true, of the values that determine how we make decisions and of our thoughts.

“Thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence.” - Eckhart Tolle

That’s why self-awareness is fundamental to self-mastery, freedom, personal power and fulfillment. If you are not aware of your mindset, you will simply not know why you are scared to take action, or why you can’t find the motivation to keep trying. Or you might be completely blind to what you truly want, whom you want to become, and the chances that are right there waiting for you to take them. In the words of Carl Jung: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Self-wisdom and self-responsibility, without self-awareness, will just not do the trick, because you cannot fight an enemy that you can’t see.

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Self-regulation

The fourth and last element of self-mastery is Self-regulation.

Once you become aware of a self-limiting thought, feeling, or behavior that is having an impact on your life, and you take responsibility for it, it is time to do something about it.

This is where you actually do some internal mental process that helps you regulate your emotional state—your internal chemistry, which changes how you feel.

?“If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” - Lao Tzu?

There are many ways to do this. And in another article, I will introduce the A.R.I.S.E. process, which is one of the fastest and most effective ways to change your thoughts and emotions, all through the power of your Mind Canvas.

And what about you?

Which elements of personal mastery do you already use or have?

And which haven't you mastered (yet)?

InJoy, Juan Campoo

About the author

Juan Campoo is a seasoned transformational coach and behavioral expert facilitating personal and organizational evolution. Creator of the?Mind Canvas ?model for personal mastery and writer of the Amazon Best-Selling?book ?under the same name. In the last 10+ years, he has coached, trained, and taught more than 12.000 people either 1-on-1, in groups, or through online courses. Check out the free resources ???here .