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Each month a new inspirational,
spiritual, or educational article by Alice McCall is posted.
If
you would like to read past articles,
please follow this link.
June 2013
Last month’s article “We want the new, but are stuck in the
old…Why?” discussed the path way to self mastery - the personal
journey that is fueled by our choices.
This month we will
look even further into the idea of mastery and how we can welcome it
into our lives.
Self Mastery: What keeps us from being all that we can be?
A daily commitment to change and to practice the way of mastery is
needed to reach one’s full potential. It can be a daunting journey,
which requires effort, time, and fearlessness. Through this effort,
we can become the great person we are destined to be.
When
you step onto the path of choosing something different and
practicing being it, you feel and know the rewards. You know you
cannot go back to the way of before - the way of unconsciousness -
the way of no choice.
Here is an example of how this
thinking can apply to all areas of our lives: At an earlier time in
my life, I felt I had to go to the gym and work out 3-4 times a
week, to control my weight and look a certain way. Sometimes, even
with this routine, my expectation of how I should look or what I
should weigh did not measure up to the effort I was putting in. The
experience became a frustrating one. As a result, it became really
difficult to maintain a disciplined routine. I ultimately stopped
working out all together.
After many years without an
exercise routine, I realized I was not as healthy and strong as I
wanted to be. I made a choice to work out twice a week for an hour
just to feel better. I wanted a realistic amount of time that I
could be disciplined about maintaining. I had no weight or
appearance goals. I was choosing to show up and do my routine for
the sake of doing it.
The result was that I became
healthier, stronger. I also felt and looked better. However, that
was never the goal, I just showed up and practiced. Every month or
so, I was able to move to heavier weights and I could handle it with
grace! As I showed up and practiced for the sake of practice, I got
better at the task at hand.
Since then, I’ve transitioned
from a traditional gym to Pilates, but the concept is the same. When
I work out, my mind is clear of all distractions. I just work out.
It is all I do in the span of that hour. I just go from one movement
to the next until the task is complete. Each time I get better at
it; my form, my breathing, and my strength work together to help me
feel better.
This example is about the everyday rewards of
doing what is best for you, following your mastery path without
regards to a singular end result. I’m not doing Pilates with a
narrow goal in mind, I’m doing Pilates because I know keeping with
the routine is best for my overall health. Being in the moment of
the routine, along with constantly fine tuning my movements is my
only focus.
It is the same with all aspects of your life,
even the thoughts that only you are privy to. Thinking and speaking
negative thoughts, being judgmental, or holding negative emotions is
unhealthy for you and your environment. My mastery path is to choose
to stop those thoughts and emotions every time I become conscious of
them (many of these can be subconscious). In action, it could be
stopping an automatic sentence in the middle of a conversation and
changing what I say so it better reflects whom I want to be.
Alternatively, it could be letting go of an intense frustration or
anger towards another, forgiving them and myself, then replacing
that emotion with something positive. These actions take a conscious
commitment to practice the change that I want to become. Conscious
practice will gradually bring a new habit way of speaking and
thinking.
It is often hard to let go and to decide to be
different. I invite you to “just try practicing” being a way that
you know is better for you. Choose a way that is aligned with your
spiritual self, your path, and your journey. Don’t choose to
dramatically change your life or to achieve a certain goal. Just try
practicing it as a new way of being.
Start now. Choose a way
that is better for you to be. Then
practice your choice on a regular
basis. You will feel the difference, be the difference. This
experience is one of growth, adventure, increased joy, and knowing.
It leads you to experience being your own truth. Simply put the
routine of practicing feels good to your mind, body, and spirit!
Contact Alice
to learn how she can help you master this topic - or transform other
health, emotion, and spiritual issues. Free consultations are
offered to
all new clients to learn how Alice's work is directly tailored to
address your areas of concern. Don't wait - step onto your Healing
Path today!
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