Self Mastery...

“The true self of each person is the mind. Know therefore that you are a god. For a god is someone who moves, who feels, who remembers, who looks to the future, who rules over and guides and directs the body he is master of, just as that Supreme God directs the universe. And just as this eternal God controls the universe, which is partly mortal, so too your eternal spirit directs your fragile body.” ~ Cicero, Scipio’s Dream

When speaking about Self Mastery what we’re really speaking about is the mind. While no one knows where the mind actually is, we all possess one - and many are possessed by it. It’s perhaps the most powerful tool we have access to and, like any tool, in the hands of a master it is capable of crafting works of incredible beauty. Without mastery it becomes a cudgel.

When Cicero speaks of each of us as gods he’s not being heretical. He’s acknowledging that the spirit that informs who each of us is and, ultimately, what each of us does with our lives is in our hands. Our job as a leader – of life and of people – is to develop mastery over the use of this amazing tool. All of the ancient texts point to this and sages of all ages knew this. It’s part of the Perennial Philosophy.

Each of us in our lives will be whipsawed by external circumstances of which we have little or no control. But our mind? We can have absolute control over this amazing tool. From Cicero’s perspective it gives us god-like powers to manifest new realities, to dream wild possibilities and then shepherd them into reality. We truly are the center of our universe and, with mastery, we can control that universe the way the Greek gods on Olympus did.

The philosopher and modern day mystic Neville Goddard said, “To realize your desire an action must start in your imagination, apart from the evidence of the senses, involving movement of self and implying fulfillment of your desire.” Master the use of your imagination.

Take time to dream. What’s possible? If there were absolutely no constraints what would be your ideal life? Your ideal company? Your ideal relationship? Don’t just imagine…add feeling and emotion into the picture. This is the catalytic move. Act this week as if the possibility were a reality.

To master anything, we must first master ourselves—our emotions, our thoughts, our actions. In times of uncertainty and disorder, self-discipline and self-mastery are not just essential but are your competitive advantage.

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