#WisdomWednesdays: Achieving Self-Mastery and Learning How to Slow Down
Modern society thrives on productivity. From the moment we wake up, we’re already on our phones, preparing for our daily routines and ticking off a long list of tasks to accomplish.
This busy lifestyle can steal time for people to contemplate and figure out what they truly want in their lives. While it's easy to give in to the demands of the world, we should always take time to pause and reconnect with our inner selves.
In this episode, Rosie and Tessa talk about the importance of achieving self-mastery. They discuss how to deal with distractions and resist the pressure of becoming hyper-aware all the time. They also talk about how the pandemic is the perfect time to slow down and practice mindfulness.
How can we use this opportunity to practice self-mastery? How do we keep reminding ourselves that we do not have to be busy all the time? What should we do to avoid feeling overwhelmed? If you want to know more, then this episode is for you!
Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
Know the importance of slowing down and taking time to connect with your inner self.
Learn why going through the pain of boredom is a rite of passage in learning.
Avoid giving in to the demands of a hyper-productive society.
Resources
The W.I.S.E. Podcast — Women Inspiring Success and Empowerment
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy by Jennifer McCartney
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Episode Highlights
The Process of Self-Mastery
Wisdom has something to do with experience or knowledge. Part of this is the quality of being wise or exercising good judgment.
[04:23] “So wisdom... Has to do so much with experience or knowledge. And I believe part of the definition is exercising good judgment. Or it's the quality of being wise.”
Like mastery, earning wisdom takes time. Learning a lesson involves the people and the experiences you had with them.
The more familiar you are with the process, the easier it is for you to find alignment within yourself.
Choose self-mastery in a society that values instant gratification.
The Pain of Boredom as a Rite of Passage
When you are learning something new, it can be painful and agonizing.
But it’s through this pain that you recognize your ability to be resilient.
How can you focus on the parts of yourself that need attention? How can you focus on creating openness to feed the part of you that needs filling?
Avoid feeding the pleasure zone in your brain tempts you to distract yourself.
[09:08] “If you're constantly feeding that pleasure zone within your brain– the circuits that are making you feel good– then you're going to become really good at that you're going to become really good at getting distracted.”
Remember, you need focus, dedication, and time to learn something new.
The Cardinal Sin of Appearing Lazy
Being lazy is viewed negatively in our modern world. We always need to appear productive.
We now live in a time where apps tell people when to breathe and take a rest. We live in a world where we need to track everything.
Gone are the days when we ask ourselves, “What do I want to be doing with my life?”
And so we need to slow down and take stock.
[14:26] “There's the wisdom in knowing when to slow down and take a day off. And so the reason behind the sloths is their mindfulness and action. They're contemplating, they're deliberate, they're relaxed, and they're focused.”
We can learn from the sloths who are relaxed, contemplative, and focused.
Knowing When to Slow Down
Working from our homes allows us to have the chance to pause and recognize our autonomy.
Unless we use our discernment, we will fall prey to the demands of life.
[17:18] “I feel that unless we can make friends with the time that we have, and if we can utilize it in a way that's going to serve our highest good, we're going to continue to fall prey to the busyness, the ungrounded frenetic energy that life can sometimes bring us.”
Practices are important because they need us to pay full attention and be present.
The greatest challenge would be carrying this practice even as the world reopens.
S.L.O.W.: Four Tips from the Little Book of Sloth Philosophy
S: Sleep in. This can be hard for most people because we feel rewarded when we wake up early and get everything done.
L: Leave your phone at home. Find a weekend where you can choose to let go of your phone.
O: Opt-out. Change your attitude by thinking that you do not have to constantly be busy or engaged.
W: What’s the rush? When you feel overwhelmed, take time to pause and check-in with yourself.
Falling Back on the Same Demands
Regardless of all the mindfulness tools we have, we all still fall into the same demands of the world.
A hyper-aware state can keep you busy, but at the end of the day, you will still feel depleted.
It's important to take things more slowly, easily, and do them one step at a time.
[23:43] “For me, it's easier to take things one step at a time, to do things little by little, to incorporate one thing at a time so that I feel like I'm still doing something for myself, doing something for my highest good. But at the same time not overwhelming myself in the process.”
Give yourself space. Make sure that you're free from distractions to connect deeper with yourself.
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To feeling radically loved,
Rosie