Hi ,
He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has
mastered himself is mightier still. ― Lao Tzu Years ago, I got an angry email from a complete stranger, who wrote, “Who do you think you are? How dare you call yourself a master. You’re not a master of
anything!” My initial reaction was to respond back, and then I quickly realized there was nothing to defend. I know I’m a master of my domain, meaning myself, and that I also have mastery in the domain of what I teach. I've been working with emotional eaters and helping others lose weight for over 20 years. My work and performance speak for themselves, so there is nothing to
defend. So what is self-mastery? As a human being, one has reached self-mastery when you have gained a certain level of control over your lower self. It doesn’t mean you’ve reached a state of perfection (that’s not possible). It means you have gained a high level of
self-knowledge and awareness and you’ve achieved a high level of control over your thoughts, impulses, feelings, and actions. Because you’re human, you may still sometimes let anger or other emotions get the best of you, and you will still feel pain at times, but overall, your life is now governed by your highest values and your higher self. It is only through self-mastery that you
can fully develop your gifts and talents and realize your full potential in life. Self-mastery in the area of food and weight means you’re no longer controlled by your appetite and impulses. You honor your body’s natural rhythms and cycles and live accordingly. You eat when hungry and stop when satiated. You deeply enjoy food and all the sensual delights that life offers, but
you aren’t controlled by them. You know what you need to be happy, content, and nurtured and therefore don’t use food to meet your other needs. You know how to take good care of your whole self (mind, body, and spirit) and do this on a consistent basis. Mastery in the area
of food and weight doesn’t necessarily mean you’re thin, in fact, you could still be overweight, not everyone is meant to be thin, but you’re no longer dominated by or obsessed with thoughts of food and/or dieting.
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Art by Catherine L. Taylor
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Women often have a hard time with the word mastery. For one, the word master connotes power over others, but true mastery is about mastery of self or a subject. To be a master of a particular subject means you have gained a certain level of
proficiency. Research shows that it takes about 10 years of constant practice or study to be a master of anything but mastery is not a final state. Mastery of a subject doesn’t mean you know all there is to know about that subject. Anyone who has mastered something knows that mastery is a lifelong pursuit, because life is always changing and evolving, which means there is always more to
learn. One has to keep practicing and learning to maintain a level of mastery. By the way, I've been studying personal development, psychology, health, and spirituality since my early 20's. I'm now 66 and I bring this wealth of knowledge and experience to my work and the clients I serve. As a coach, I have found that many people are frightened by
the concept of self-mastery. Why? Mastery of self, means fully stepping into your own power and light and this scares people. As Marianne Williamson once wrote, “It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” Self-mastery means taking full responsibility for yourself
and defining yourself and your life on your own terms. Unless you do this, your life is truly not your own. It’s simply a regurgitation of other people’s thoughts and values (family and society’s). Many people would rather play it safe by living by a script. This script is handing to them as they grow up with messages such as: get married; have children; buy a house; don’t rock the boat; get a certain type of
job; be thin, etc. A lot of people don’t question any of it; they just plod along, doing what’s expected of them, without ever questioning if this is what they really want or if it’s actually in their best interest. Flora- Roman Goddess of Springtime and Flowers - by Catherine L. Taylor
In my practice, I see a lot of people, old and young, who really don’t know who they are and what they truly value or if they do, many haven’t developed the courage to live by those values. Because of this, they float along, rudderless, and/or follow the herd. Unfortunately, the cost of this is depression, anxiety, overeating, and a sense of emptiness. Deep down they know they aren’t living the life they dreamed for themselves. They’ve settled for far less. They often tell themselves they should be happy and grateful for what they’ve got but it doesn't help much.
Living a life that’s not true to yourself and what you value isn’t much of a life. Deep down, you know you’ve betrayed yourself, and this creates self-loathing. I know how depressing this is because I used to be one of these people. I used to hide my intelligence and my talents
because I noticed that other people were often threatened by them. Then I decided that I could no longer emotionally or spiritually afford to play small any longer. Now, if I make some people uncomfortable, I know that’s their problem. I won’t dim my light or hide my talents just to make insecure people feel better about themselves. So think about it. Have you defined and
declared who you are to the world? Or are you still hiding and following somebody else’s script? Does that script say I must be thin or perfect to be acceptable? If you could write your own script, what would that script look
like? What’s stopping you from writing and living it? When you decide to write, direct, and act in the movie called "Your Life," you go from being a bit player to being a star
performer.
Now, isn’t that the life you’ve always dreamed of? Are you ready for a starring role in your own life? Learn the art of self-care and intuitive eating, and create a life that nurtures
you. Catherine L. Taylor
Audio and Home Study Programs Your mental attitude determines how successful you will be with weight loss as well as with any other endeavor in life. Unfortunately, when you have self-limiting beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes, you’re defeated before you even start. In this 6
session recorded coaching series, I am going to show you solutions to the common mental traps, attitudes, and beliefs that keep people from being successful. As a weight loss coach who has been practicing over a decade, these are the ones I come up against over and over again, and once people overcome these mental hurdles, weight loss can become fun and be almost effortless! $48 Other Courses Regularly $297, now $197. *Comes with over $300 in Bonuses! Including 2 Private Coaching Sessions with me! A $195
value.
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