Anarchistbanjo's World

Physical competency or mastery is no big secret. It’s like changing dirty diapers on a newborn baby. Everyone makes a mess of it the first few times and through practice and experience gets better at it. Instead of being emotionally distasteful it simply becomes an action or a chore that is done mechanically and efficiently.

In fact, doing something well feels very good! It makes us feel good about ourselves and who we are. In the final stage of risk-taking our actions are no longer hindered by emotions. We are skilled at encountering and creatively resolving challenging situations. Through the long and difficult process of trial and error we become resourceful and even look forward to the next challenge and the rewards it may bring.

This is the stage of personal mastery. In moments of crisis our reserves of creative power automatically take over and do what is needed. This is seen time after time. When our brains shut down our training takes over. Have we been given the training that we need? How do we become trained? We learn by doing and taking risks.

Trying things we have never done before is both exciting and frightening. We don’t know if we will be successful or not. When we first try something we are not successful unless we are very lucky. The key is to have small successes. Small successes teach us the feeling that comes with being successful and develops habit patterns that promote larger successes.

You need to have successes to be successful. Small successes are the steppingstones that we can measure our progress with. Each day contains a small gain or success we have earned, something we have done right that brought a reward. Take a few minutes to think back on the day and remember something that turned out right for you. What was it that you did that allowed the experience to be successful?

Being successful can be just as much of a habit as failing can. The voice of our conscience will instinctively guide our physical actions in ways that keep negative situations from arising if we learn to trust it. First we must learn to listen to it. Are we being true to our inner nature? Are we listening to our inner authority or blindly following some external authority because that is what we are supposed to do?

Physical empowerment comes from having a keen awareness of our physical environment and being deeply sensitive to the possibilities that exist within each moment. Every day is filled with natural closure points and natural beginning points. Are we sensitive enough to sense them or do we push blindly ahead when all the signs say to wait for an hour or two. The voice of our conscience will tell us these things.

When you are in a conversation and realize someone is not paying attention should you continue pouring your heart out? Or would it be better to wait until they are in a more receptive state? Forcing things never works well. Just ask yourself, is this a good time to do this? And listen to your gut feelings and what comes from inside.

For the Master not one moment is wasted or spent uselessly in counterproductive efforts. They are sensitive to the feedback others are giving them and let things go when the time is not right. When things are going well they take advantage of the natural timing and find ways to advance their position.

The Master first passed through each of the previous stages like you and I did. They have risked and risked again. They have been a victim; learned from repeated mistakes; became friends with lead feet, pounding heart and the inability to breathe and to resolutely go forward to physical mastery. This is a natural process and they gladly followed it.

Let us ask again if the phrase “no pain, no gain” applies to the spiritual path and the path of self-mastery. Do things need to be effortless and handed over on a silver plate or is it worth personal discomfort to take the harder path? Is the reward worth the greater effort? Does it feel good to earn things? I guess each one of us must answer this question individually as we come to it.

If I haven’t earned something I don’t want it. We most value those things that we have fought and struggled for. We take for granted those things that have been given to us and not earned.