Have You Conquered Yourself?
Sometimes in the heat of battles between people, ideas, and institutions we become lost in the narrow focus of our best efforts. For example we might be so emotionally attached to an specific outcome it can blind us from seeing both reality and the best solution. We might have too much of a vested interest in "being right" or doing things the way we've always done them versus doing something new or doing the right thing.
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles." --- Buddha
To conquer yourself one must first know them self. Without knowing our emotional tendencies and hot buttons introduces an emotional bias to any situation and is as effective as it would be to put on a blindfold before you go sightseeing. In these situations if we truly intend to produce the most effective and efficient answer, then we need to focus on the parts of the equation that we DO have control over, ourselves.
“Conquering others takes force, conquering yourself is true strength." --- Lao Tzu
High performance is about getting through all the fog that's from your past and stepping into your greatness, the real you. Stepping into your own personal clarity and power allows you intentionally perform in full capacity. It's not about who you were or how you did things before, it is about deliberately and intentionally creating who you see yourself to be.
The process of growing into yourself is really all about the Law of Unfolding.
Read this powerful passage from the 1917 classic the 'Conquering Yourself' manual to gain a better understanding into this Law.
All progress of the individual is a matter of inner unfoldment. Life moves from
within, outwards. The germ or vitality is always at the center, not on the surface. The growth of the tree or the plant, of the animal or the fruit, is not that of adding on the outside, but a supply from the inside.
The individual determines his own position in life, according to the amount of
intelligent effort exerted. It is for this reason, that people NEVER WILL BE EQUAL, because there are those - the majority - who will not work to acquire this Inner Power
You, then, must rank among the Great, or the mediocre.
You have the conscious right to determine who you are at any given moment, no one can tell you who you are. You have the power to choose whether you will remain in the mediocre or rank amongst the great. No one can give this power to you, it is your birth right. However you can build a support team that can help you unlock your potential, and that alone could be all the difference.
During your growth you must constantly remember to exercise patience with yourself. Love yourself. Nurture yourself as if you were an acorn waiting to be fully expressed as a tree. Don't beat yourself up for being a seed, celebrate your unfolding greatness of what you will grow into. Be you. Be great. Make your move.
