If you’ve been following me for any amount of time you know that I absolutely love personal development! I’m constantly engaged in activities that not only challenge me to grow mentally, emotionally, and physically but I also enjoy expanding my perspective of the world. So today we’re talking all about world leaders like Winston Churchhill, Abraham Lincoln, and Harriet Tubman! Yes! We are going deep y’all! But before we get into the nitty-gritty I want to invite you to fill out this quick survey.
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Recently, I’ve become obsessed with the idea of life mastery. The main objective is that we move from being students who are always learning and we graduate to becoming teachers or masters who begin to take action and put into practice the information we already have. This seems like a pretty simple concept, right? When you start applying it your life will significantly improve!
Applied Knowledge Is Power
I’m sure you’ve heard many people talk about how knowledge is power and why it’s important to always be learning, but I want to challenge this idea. The true power in knowledge is only unlocked when you APPLY the knowledge that you have.
If we only take in more and more knowledge what good will this produce in our life? What is the result of all of the time we put into learning if it doesn’t add value to our life or the people around us? NOTHING! Right? Knowledge is meant to help us cultivate our greatness, produce better results, and work smarter, but if we don’t use it, it is useless.
Unused knowledge will only puff us up and lead us to say things like “I know this already” but the truth is if we know something to be true and we really understand it’s value we would be doing everything we can to live by it. So by the basic fact that we are not applying things that we know would improve our life shows that we don’t actually understand them.
Only when we take the valuable lessons that we have read about and put them into practice in our own lives and encourage others to do the same is when we really tap into the true power of knowledge. The number one most common trait among the people who master life like Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr, and Abraham Lincoln is that they all applied the knowledge they had to improve their communities to bring about change which affected their generation.
The Magic Formula
Exceptional character + applied knowledge = life mastery. As humans, we are continually evolving. When you review the DNA of the people who have mastered life you will see that age, location, and economics have almost no relevance to their success. You will also see that they weren’t necessarily striving for success in the way that most people define it.
They were motivated by their internal convictions. They had a strong sense of self-respect, vision, and what was possible for the world. They didn’t set out to master any one specific thing like self-discipline or time management. All they wanted to do was make a difference in their community. Do you see that?
Bruce Lee said, “knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” The reason why we value and appreciate many of these world leaders is not only because of what they have done but because of WHO they were and what they represent for us. Their lives and memory serve as a reminder of the type of people we all aspire to be so let’s take a look at their DNA.
Life Mastery 101: Self-Acceptance
At the foundation of life mastery is self-acceptance. You can not lead others if you can’t lead yourself. The power of people who master life is that they have learned how to lead themselves. They have practiced the art of self-discipline. They are not misguided by their feelings or distracted by what they see. They are intentional about what they want and through self-mastery, they become masters of life.
Have A Higher Vision For Yourself
They are driven by a higher vision. I like to call this their purpose. They see things that others can’t or refuse to see. They are not led by people’s opinions, expectations, or bad example. They see possibilities and areas of improvement and they create it no matter how long it takes.
Be Resourceful
They are resourceful. they use what they have, who they know, and what they know to get the job done. They don’t strive for perfection all they want to see is progress. They aren’t caught up trying to impress others all they want is results.
Lead by example
People who master life are those who lead by example. Instead of playing the victim, making excuses and justifying why they aren’t able to do something instead they show others how it’s done. Martin Luther King Jr said “if you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means, keep moving.” You can always find a way to get things done and although you might not have had the best role models you can choose to lead by example.
Develop Your Gift of Curiosity
Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents I am just passionately curious”. Curiosity and being a life long learner/explorer is gold. If you want to master life choose to always be learning. Anywhere you go be the first person to ask questions. Don’t worry about looking silly or ignorant. It sounds simple but truly, no question is a silly question. The more you ask, the better you will understand which will produce stronger results.
Practice Deep Thinking
When you look at the practices of the people who have mastered life you will see that they had a habit of deep thinking. This isn’t reflective thinking, this is thinking with the intention to understand why something is the way that it is in order to attempt to find a relative solution. Mother Teresa said, “if you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” Do you think she came up with this by coincidence? No. She wanted to understand how the world got to what it is and how we can all start making a difference right where we are.
Learn & Teach
People who master life are teachers and students all in one. They love learning and they also love teaching which is demonstrated in their ability to lead others by example. Their life serves as a standard or a call to action. It’s almost like by their example they invite us all to be better, love more, and create more unity in the world.
Take Risks
Oprah said, “I believe that one of lives greatest risks is never daring to risk.” If you want to master your life you have to take risks. Be open to trying new things. Allow yourself to think differently. Choose to experience the adventures that life has to offer you instead of choosing the path of least resistance. Trust me my friend, developing your greatness requires that you take risks.
Find Valuable Lessons In Every Experience
I read a Chinese proverb that said, “learning is a treasure that will follow it’s owner everywhere”. People who enjoy learning can turn everything into a valuable lesson. Barak Obama said, “if you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress”. Choose to learn from your experiences, the experiences of others, and the world around you.
Add Value to others
If you want to master your life focus on adding value to others. Think of ways that you can create a better environment, community, workplace, family, and so on for the people around you. Instead of focusing on people’s shortcomings and downfalls, choose to celebrate their growth, progress, and potential!
Believe in possibilities
Everyone who masters life believes that it is possible. They believe in themselves and in the good of others. Mother Teresa said, “if you judge people you have no time to love them”. If you want to really be among the greats and master your life you must see yourself living what seems impossible to others and encourage others to see this for themselves! Accept and reach for your “higher calling” which is your purpose, and believe in the greatness of others.
