Written by Latasha Nicole Phillips, Life Purpose Coach
SoulFlwr LLC is a sacred service oriented business with a focus on assisting those that they come in contact with personal development progression with a focus on the self.
Personal Mastery is an emerging buzzword in self-help circles these days. For some of us, it can seem like a daunting task. Truth be told, in the beginning, it can feel a bit overwhelming, and that’s after the battle of getting started. However, even though being on a personal growth journey can seem insurmountable at times, there are ways to master it.
To achieve personal mastery (or any goal, for that matter), we can begin by allowing it to be a practice first. By doing so, we remove the intimidation that could potentially trigger our common beliefs until we are ready to change them. Here are five major practices that can help us stick to our goals when it comes to self-development.
1. Willingness
Willingness is the practice of seeing things from a perspective that is different from the way we approached them in the past. This differs from merely desiring to see things from another perspective. We tend to be hardwired to our belief systems due to the unique qualities of our personal experiences. From here, willingness can become the foundation of our conscious desire to change, which leads us to personal mastery.
Anything built to last requires a strong foundation. Without a foundation, nothing can stand. Willingness serves as an excellent example of a strong foundation because it allows us to embrace change when it is presented to us. Since change is the vehicle to personal mastery, willingness offers us options for stepping into that change.
2. Personal integrity
Integrity is the practice of telling ourselves the truth. It means seeing things as they are, despite how we might want them to be. It also involves allowing all outcomes as a result of whatever truths we are ready to see. To achieve personal mastery, we must embrace truth on a mental, emotional, physical, and, if applicable, spiritual level. This is like the superfood of personal growth.
Another great aspect of practicing integrity is that it places us in a space of accountability to others. However, since we are practicing truthfulness with ourselves, it naturally becomes easier to be truthful with others as well. The truth may not always be pleasant, but it holds exceptional value when it comes to personal growth and achieving our goals.
3. Resistance
The Oxford Dictionary defines resistance as the refusal to accept or comply with something. This concept can take on many forms across various aspects of our lives. However, if we practice facing what we tend to resist, we can turn this challenge into an ally. Here are some brief examples of how resistance can affect us.
Mental
Mental resistance occurs when our inner dialogue or thoughts are hypervigilant and stuck in survival mode. Due to the epidemic of anxiety, our thoughts can often be dominated by negative affirmations. We fail to realize that this is detrimental to any type of progress we seek to make on any level. In my experience, I once thought it was noble to identify as a survivor. Over time, I learned that the real nobility lies in the strength and tenacity to embrace change. Remaining in survivor mode only kept me stuck in the very experiences I sought to process in healthy and healing ways.
Emotional
Emotional resistance is a by-product of negative self-talk. This inner dialogue creates amplified emotions around achieving our personal goals. Emotions are merely energy, serving as alarms for what is occurring within our inner world. Typically, this form of resistance stems from what we have rejected, denied, suppressed, repressed, or dismissed in our experiences. Many of us find emotional resistance overwhelming due to its intensity, especially as it builds over time. These emotional blocks can persist and intensify until significant progress is made.
Physical
A physical example of resistance is lifting weights during a workout. When we face resistance and put in our maximum effort, we grow. Facing our personal issues with the intention of growth is similar to this workout example. It may not seem significant at first, but when we confront resistance, any progress is meaningful progress.
Spiritual
If you do not ascribe to any type of religion or spiritual practice, that is perfectly fine! The first four examples of resistance are enough to achieve significant growth in any endeavor you seek. There is no need to read this section.
If you do ascribe to a religion or spiritual practice, this can be a profound form of resistance, both within groups and on an individual level. Cognitive dissonance often plays a significant role here because our belief systems are sacred to us, even when they are not religious or spiritual. This is because our individual beliefs are deeply personal and hold great importance. Therefore, we must remain mindful that everything changes, including our religious or spiritual beliefs. As long as we are following a path that does not harm others, we may discover that greater inclusion is possible, which, in turn, can boost our creativity. All of these factors contribute significantly to personal growth and mastery.
4. Consistency
Consistency is the fourth pillar because it represents the conscious choice to keep moving forward. A common problem is that we do not see consistency as a process. It is, in fact, a process that builds momentum over time. In the Western world, we are accustomed to having things at our fingertips, which has led to losing the appreciation for enjoying processes that unfold over a lifetime. The sense of entitlement to cut corners further reinforces our disconnection from the idea that there is value in every moment, not just in the finished product or end result.
By incorporating consistency with the other pillars, such as willingness and integrity, we can rediscover the joy of embracing the process. Just as with any goal, it is the small moments, when we choose to stay focused, that lead to the bigger wins and milestones.
Consistency also pairs well with self-compassion and self-acceptance. When combined with willingness and integrity, it makes us unstoppable. This combination provides the appropriate self-talk, repetition, and practice needed to achieve any goal, including personal mastery.
5. Self-love
Last, but certainly not least, is the pillar of self-love. Everything begins with the self. When in doubt about what direction to take regarding our personal goals and growth, all we have to do is consult ourselves. This may sound simple to some yet terrifying to others. Regardless, the effect of self-love on us is the same: we change and we grow.
People can say, think, and do many things that might affect us. But at the end of the day, it is we who decide who we are in response to their intentions. It is our birthright to determine what is best for us. So why not choose a healthy form of self-love? This is how we transform all that has been ugly in our lives into something beautiful.
There is a saying that the road to recovery is better than the alternative routes. The elephant in the room for all of us is that life will remain as unpredictable as ever, no matter what we do. It is a natural phenomenon. By adhering to the five pillars of personal mastery, we can learn how to cope in ways that work for us, that are healthy, and that we can truly enjoy. How can you use these concepts to achieve true wins, ones that can last a lifetime?
Read more from Latasha Nicole Phillips
Latasha Nicole Phillips, Life Purpose Coach
Latasha Phillips & Shawn Cross are African American female leaders in mastery learning and meditation fields who assist others in personal development and self inprovement endeavours. They have two decades of experience with various tools and resourses that they currently used to live lives of inner peace and fulfillment. They created Soulflwr LLC as a sacred service to all who are ready to heal their past and themselves.
