Monday, December 11, 2006
Knowing Who Your Master Is
Every individual holds the key to the God-given ability to consciously decide
whether to master a situation or to be mastered by it. Every individual also
has the ability to decide how long he or she chooses to master, or be mastered
bya situation. As I observe self development trainings and seminars throughout
the nation, it amazes me to find that only10 percent of most individuals' battles
are caused by the situation, and 90 percent are caused by the inability to move
on and simply let go.
It's hard to watch a person wrestle with a situation that would immediately disappear
if they would just simply let it go. It drives me crazy to see an individual be mastered
by a stupid situation.There are a lot of great people from whom I purposely distance
myself because they choose to be mastered by stupid situations. For example, could
a marriage come to an end because two loving individuals don't agree on how the toilet
paper should be installed? How could a person be known as a loving wife and mother
one moment and the next moment be booked for murder because of road rage?
Let's be real for a second! Toilet paper has never been the cause of any divorce, and
road rage can never be the excuse for any murder.The simple fact is good people
make stupid decisions when they choose to forfeit the right to master an obstacle or
an adversity and become mastered by it instead. It is said that you can always measure
the character of a man by the size of the obstacle it takes to overcome him. Good people
become murderers every day-and goodpeople are murdered every day-because of
individuals who simply are not in control of their immediate emotions.
Think about it: How many people do you think are dead or in prison either because
of their middle finger or someone else's middle finger? I don't know the answer, but isn't
it ridiculous to think that a middle finger could cause an individual's rage to escalate to
the point of deadly force? How hard would it be for most people to prepare or train
themselves never to allow someone else's physical gestures to control them?
What and/or who has the ability to cause you to lose control and step out of your
character? When you hear the words 'lose control,' it's probably a natural instinct
to think of Individuals who are not conscious of the fact that they are capable of losing
control will adopt the habit of losing control.And one who adopts the habit of losing
control creates a lifestyle of one who's out of control. On the other hand, control can be
regained. For example,have you ever experienced saying, 'I can't believe I just said that,'
or 'I apologize for snapping like that'?
These are examples of regaining control. Are you conscious of, and willing to recognize,
where you seem to be less in control? When and where do you master, and when and
where are you being mastered? I believe if you practice mastering the basics-orwhat some
would call the minor things in life-you areliterally positioning yourself to avoid potential
disaster. I was once told that you should manage your weaknesses and master your strengths.
I'm not saying that we will ever be successful at mastering all of our emotions and every
situation, but I am saying that every successful step forward is a step toward being the master
instead of being mastered.
Every individual holds the key to the God-given ability to consciously decide
whether to master a situation or to be mastered by it. Every individual also
has the ability to decide how long he or she chooses to master, or be mastered
bya situation. As I observe self development trainings and seminars throughout
the nation, it amazes me to find that only10 percent of most individuals' battles
are caused by the situation, and 90 percent are caused by the inability to move
on and simply let go.
It's hard to watch a person wrestle with a situation that would immediately disappear
if they would just simply let it go. It drives me crazy to see an individual be mastered
by a stupid situation.There are a lot of great people from whom I purposely distance
myself because they choose to be mastered by stupid situations. For example, could
a marriage come to an end because two loving individuals don't agree on how the toilet
paper should be installed? How could a person be known as a loving wife and mother
one moment and the next moment be booked for murder because of road rage?
Let's be real for a second! Toilet paper has never been the cause of any divorce, and
road rage can never be the excuse for any murder.The simple fact is good people
make stupid decisions when they choose to forfeit the right to master an obstacle or
an adversity and become mastered by it instead. It is said that you can always measure
the character of a man by the size of the obstacle it takes to overcome him. Good people
become murderers every day-and goodpeople are murdered every day-because of
individuals who simply are not in control of their immediate emotions.
Think about it: How many people do you think are dead or in prison either because
of their middle finger or someone else's middle finger? I don't know the answer, but isn't
it ridiculous to think that a middle finger could cause an individual's rage to escalate to
the point of deadly force? How hard would it be for most people to prepare or train
themselves never to allow someone else's physical gestures to control them?
What and/or who has the ability to cause you to lose control and step out of your
character? When you hear the words 'lose control,' it's probably a natural instinct
to think of Individuals who are not conscious of the fact that they are capable of losing
control will adopt the habit of losing control.And one who adopts the habit of losing
control creates a lifestyle of one who's out of control. On the other hand, control can be
regained. For example,have you ever experienced saying, 'I can't believe I just said that,'
or 'I apologize for snapping like that'?
These are examples of regaining control. Are you conscious of, and willing to recognize,
where you seem to be less in control? When and where do you master, and when and
where are you being mastered? I believe if you practice mastering the basics-orwhat some
would call the minor things in life-you areliterally positioning yourself to avoid potential
disaster. I was once told that you should manage your weaknesses and master your strengths.
I'm not saying that we will ever be successful at mastering all of our emotions and every
situation, but I am saying that every successful step forward is a step toward being the master
instead of being mastered.
