A primary theme in the book is that mastery is not about control; it’s about awareness, patience, moderation, and letting things go.
In Chapter 5 (Awareness), I introduce an idea called recognize-observe-manage. For an example, I describe how emotions can often come without permission. What’s important, for mastery of life, is to allow emotions to freely come but simultaneously learn how to manage them.
The first step in managing one’s emotions effectively is to recognize the emotion. This can include thoughts or feelings. Once you recognize the emotion, observe it. This effectively separates you from the emotion and you are able to recognize it as “not me.” Upon recognition, you can observe it, just like a cloud passing in the sky.
Like the weather, emotions are natural; therefore, they are not “wrong,” just as hurricanes and tornadoes are not wrong. However, for mastery of life, it’s crucial to prevent your Self from being swept away by them. ~ Kent Thune
On occasion, emotions are more than just clouds; they are storms that may cause damage. With practice, you can become quicker at the process of recognize-observe-manage. Eventually, you will be able to manage (but not control) your emotions.
If damage is done to others, a sincere apology is a powerful place to begin. The admission, “I wasn’t myself,” would be true. You can’t act as the authentic Self with emotion or ego in control.
