7 Gates Of Self-Mastery
“We have plenty of people who model material success and achievement for us….. What we need more of are those who model enlightenment, real freedom, the mastery of being.” –The Way of Harmony
Imagine being able to not just reduce, but actually eliminate stress, anxiety, and fear from your consciousness. Imagine being able to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and make decisions effortlessly, while at the same time enhancingthe flow and focus of your own creative energy, and that of your organization,so that you maximize performance and results.
Here are seven gates of personal mastery that you must pass through if you are to translate the core insight into reality, so that fearless, enlightened leadershipcan become your “way” in the world. It’s effectiveness in bringing about transformation has been proven. Make it your own, and it will work for you.
The First Gate - Presence
As you learn to be relaxed centered and grounded in the present moment, you begin to free yourself from all forms of mental and emotional conflict. Presence is the source of your physical energy, power and charisma. Everything arises and disappears within your awareness. But awareness itself, is a sense of inner clarity and spaciousness, and is always present. It is who and what you fundamentally are. Bring this quality f clear, present-time awareness to the task before you.
The Second Gate - Balance
This gate is about understanding the nature of rhythm and change, of ups and downs, and learning to dance harmoniously with whatever is. The dance happens naturally as you become sensitive to energy itself, to the underlying flow of mood, sensation, and feeling. Most of the stress people experience isbecause they live too much in their heads, in their heads, in their story. They are not in touch with their feeling, present time reality.
The Third Gate - Detachment
Holding on the negative memories and energy from the past, and worryingabout what is going to happen in the future is major causes of fear-based reactions in the body, and specially that tight, knotted or sick feeling in thegut that signals stress. Developing a more meditative, present-time awarenesshelps with the letting go process, and brings clarity to the mind. When you release attachment to the outcome of your thoughts, goals, and plans, you actually have a much better chance of manifesting them in reality, becauseyour creative energy is no longer being stifled by the fear of loss.
The Fourth Gate - Heart
Stress and fear tend to close the heart down. We become judgmental and critical, and life starts to feel empty, joyless meaningless. One of the key traits of fearless leadership is an awareness of the fundamental interconnectedness of all the existence. As you become more sensitive to your own other’s feelings, to the underlying concerns, worries and fearsthat all people have, your natural kindness, compassion, and generosity are liberated and,with them, deep inner strength and courage. An open heart, balanced with common sense and good judgment, makes you the leader that everyone wants to follow.
The Fifth Gate - Truth
Fearless leadership requires self-honesty- You’ve got to be willing and examine your personal demons, whether they manifest form. As you face them, breathe into them, and see through their essential insubstantiality (as “real” as they seem, they are in fact just part of the story you’ve been telling yourself), you start to get free of them. Then it becomes easy to speak the truth, because you’re no longer caught up in trying to defend or justify your ego. You are able to facilitate authentic dialogue with others. They will feel free to speak their truth, and in this way you gather the energy and talent of the entire group, or team.
The Sixth Gate - Vision
As you become more present and learn to witness your thoughts, rather than being caught up in them, your awareness naturally expands, becomes more multidimensional, so that it is easier to process endless amounts of information without being overwhelmed. You break free of the box of either/or, black/white thinking. Paradox and uncertainty are no longer seem as threatening, but rather are viewed as opportunities for exploring new possibilities, and for engaging in fresh, creative thinking.
The key insight here is understanding that what you see is what you get. Think fearful thoughts, and you’ll create situations which just reinforce your fear. But pull back you mental projections; drop your conceptual filters, your story, and communication and creativity, but it won’t be a source of worry and anxiety anymore. Then it will be much easier to make the right decisions and to manifest your goals and dreams in reality.
The Seventh Gate - Realization
True fearlessness comes with what has traditionally been called enlightenment, awakening, or self-realization or, mastery of the core insight. It is knowing yourself at the deepest level of your being; it is knowing who you are beyond all your beliefs and ideas about who you are, beyond the “story” you have created about who you are.
When you no longer hold onto any image or concept of “self,” because you have seen that it is all a self-generated fiction anyway, there is nothing in your consciousness to resist what is happening – and so, no fear. Meaning and happiness no longer depend on beliefs, outer conditions, economic status, or anything else. They come from within, from the fullness and radiance of being itself. Your ego and your personal history are available when needed, but they don’t get in the way. Changes, of the kind which throw most people into crisis, cease having power to upset you, other than momentarily. If upset does occur, you remember to breathe and be present, and you recover your clarity and equanimity quickly.
The authenticity, spontaneity, and sheer goodwill, you then bring to each moment will inspire the highest and best in others, and in this way you create a fearless organization.
Source: http://www.leader-values.com/
