Real Game: The Art Of Self-Control (Part 1)

We’re going in DEEP this week, so strap yourself in! Once again it's time for some real Game. This is an interesting subject because there are so many Perspectives surrounding it, but I honestly don’t think most people realize how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Have you heard or read these quotes before?

“Good things come to those who wait,”

“Patience is a virtue,”

“Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius,”

“He that has no patience has nothing at all,”

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time,”

Patience is considered by many an extremely vital skill to the attainment of anything. Meaning, almost nothing comes when we want it to, or when we think it should.

For thousands of years, all philosophers, religious texts and “spiritual” masters have all been really big on learning and exercising patience. Your question should be, “Why?” What is it about this single word people get so worked up about?

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Some say that patience is the art of waiting. Loosely defined in the dictionary, it’s not allowing yourself to get annoyed, act restless, lose your temper, feel irritated, etc. when confronted with delay. All of these are forms of self-control; in fact, the best definition I've ever come across about patience is this:

“Patience is self-control over a long period of time.”

Now what exactly is, “self-control”?

Self-control is to control yourself - doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. But what is the “self”? And why does it need to be controlled?

Let’s dip our feet into the Game of it.

You are a combination of every image, opinion and thought you have ever come across in your life. In fact, most of what you think you are is not even really you. The person you think you are is just a melting pot of other people. Your pitcher is filled, but not with the kool-aid you chose to put in it, so to speak.

Now, from a metaphysical perspective you also have a “higher-self”, a self that is connected to the creator, or the higher consciousness or the universal intelligence or whatever name that’s popular this decade. And you would think that a “self” this powerful wouldn't need to be controlled – but they would tell you that first, you have to “connect” to it. Or get into its “flow”.

Stop right there.

I have to “connect” or “open up” to a universal intelligence that is already the very essence of me? Shouldn't it already be “connected”? Why the effort on my part? Why must I choose?  If this universal consciousness is linked to my "highest self" and it’s there, has always been there and always will be there, why do I have to choose to recognize it?

I still have a choice not to “connect”, or I can limit the strength of the connection by thinking “bad”, “evil” or “selfish” thoughts (I use those terms very loosely). So what’s more powerful? Your power to choose what you will do or won’t do takes precedence here.

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You have a “higher-self” that you can choose NOT to “listen” to, or be “in-tune” with. You can choose, and in that decision lies an inner ability that you already have. It’s in you and you don’t have to go anywhere to get it.

Again, the key element here is choice – the ability to choose. Even from most religious Perspectives, you have to accept “God” into your life for him, or them (depending on the religion) to begin working with full power in your life. Again, we have a choice.

So what’s so important about the ability to choose?

The ability to choose is called willpower. And the word ‘will’ itself can be defined as a wish or desire. So willpower is the power to choose what a person wishes or desires. Or simply put… the ability to choose one’s own actions.

In order to choose, that means there must be options. If there are no options there is nothing to think about (reason) to make a decision. Are you still with me?

So what creates options? You create options. Or better said, you Perceive options. Your willpower (the ability to choose) is usually divided between what you think and/or feel is right versus what you think and/or feel is wrong. This is just a generalization because I want to keep this simple so it’s easily understood – stay with me. Once you grasp the concept, you can expand on it.

When you woke up you had a choice of what to wear for the day. Why did you choose to put on the very clothes you’re wearing now? Or if you haven’t left the house today, why are you wearing what you’re wearing (if you’re wearing anything at all). You chose – but why “this” and not “that”?

For simplicity sake, let's just say the Perception probably had a little to do with what you had clean versus what you had dirty. You immediately limited your options to what was clean and presentable. What was dirty was, more than likely, not even an option. And there are many more factors but in the end you chose what you thought and felt was right to do, versus what you thought and felt was wrong to do.

That is exercising willpower. Simple, isn't it? We do this hundreds, sometimes thousands of times a day and don’t think much about it because it’s “normal”.

At almost each and every moment of your life you are making decisions and using your willpower. Sometimes we make bad choices, sometimes good choices and sometimes we try not to make any choices. But even a non-choice is a choice.

The very act of choosing is powerful because it’s a commitment of thought, and thought is powerful. You usually choose what you think and/or feel is best for you. What’s best for your “self” and sometimes what’s best for others around you as well.

Willpower is like 2 equally matched boxers. They have the same height, weight, reach, skill level and speed. Who wins depends on your choice. Without choosing an option, they will forever battle each other.

So the ability to choose (willpower) is a part of you – yourself. But that still doesn't define just what “self” is and why we should control it.

In next week’s post we’ll explore these ideas further. We’ll look into this mysterious thing called, “self” and how it’s your own personal trinity. We’ll then dig into how this relates to willpower and self-control.

Until next time, keep it moving…

For PART 2 click [HERE]

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