Day 96/366 days Towards Self-Mastery. Mood: contemplative
As we sit at home in isolation we have an unexpected opportunity to use this time to learn something more about myself.
Self-mastery is about knowing ourselves deeply, questioning our worldview and becoming sovereign in our choices and decisions. That means, being fully responsible and informed in our choices and choosing from a place of a considered worldview having examined what is true for us, our deepest truths.
Not those informed by society, nor religion, nor marketing spin. Our own simple truths. What do we really hold as true at our deepest level, and how can we express that in a world that may largely disagree with our way of seeing the world?
One way of examining our inner truth is to look to our role models.
Who do we admire and what characteristics do they espouse that we are attracted to?
Take some time to consider those role models that you've adopted throughout your life and reflect on their qualities in your journal or artwork.
Catholicism formed the foundation of my early learning. Even though I turned my back on Catholic teachings around the age of 12 years when they stopped making sense to me, I remained enamoured with the stories and character of Jesus. Putting his godliness aside, I nurtured a deep curiosity for his ability with consciousness and energy to affect healing, as well as he's succinct and metaphorical way of teaching, and the messages that he was imparting during his short lifetime. These qualities fascinated me and impacted me greatly.
After some time, the Buddha took my interest. Not studying in any depth, and neglecting Buddhism as a source of study, I had a curiosity for his discovery of the elements of which the body and matter are composed: fire, air, earth, water. Wisdom gained in silent meditation and deep observation captured my imagination and propelled me to participate in the meditation practices that enabled me to experience these physical and energetic elements in my own stillness.
I began to realise that true knowledge was available to each of us when we reduce the distractions in our lives.
This thread of the relationship between stillness and knowledge continued to be revealed to me as I became aware of Nassim Haramein's Unified Field Theory. Profound depths of information emerging from time alone in nature, exploring with an open mind and open heart the mysteries of the universe and the cosmos.
These are the role models that I have adopted throughout my adult years, and it is these people who have impacted me most deeply.
The influence of these amazing personalities lead me to study Gestalt Psychotherapy with it's profound focus on the truth that each individual person is whole and alive with possibilities, able to adjust and adapt to extreme life circumstances using their own inner resources. Equally, they are able to continue that adaptation with the right support at the right time, to heal their relationship with themselves, the world and each other.
Sarah speaks of her role models as fashion icons. It matters not who your role models are and what your interest is. Whilst I have been a little irritated by this approach in previous days, in reality there are many ways to know our deeper truths, and I'll continue to try to use Sarah's inspiration to bring my truths forth here in my writing.
What matters is that your way invokes a deep inner enquiry. Inner questioning of your worldview, revision of your deeper beliefs and stories to make more sense of the world and your reality as you experience it.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?) I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here. Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach. This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
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